Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon has declared his strong opposition to the return of the controversial ETON and EBOMAF loan agreements, following recent revelations that the Unity Party-led government has re-engaged discussions around the previously abandoned infrastructure financing deal.
Senator Dillon, a vocal critic of the agreements during the past administration, took to social media shortly after the announcement to reaffirm his stance, suggesting that renewed efforts to revive the deals would be met with intensified scrutiny.
“The same, very #ETON & #EBOMAF… (Again) ??? If the information by Sen. Albert Chie (Grand Kru County) is true, the same level of energies with which we spoke up YESTERDAY, will be the same level or even more NOW, so as to get the proper answers,” Dillon wrote.
The ETON-EBOMAF agreements were originally signed under former President George Manneh Weah’s administration, involving an estimated US$962 million in infrastructure financing — approximately US$536 million with Eton Finance PTE Ltd and US$426 million with Groupe EBOMAF SA. The deals were touted as a transformative infrastructure push but were heavily criticized for lack of transparency and questionable loan terms.
By 2019, the agreements were effectively “set aside” following concerns raised by international partners, including the World Bank. Legislative steps were later taken between 2020 and 2021 to formally cancel the deals and remove potential legal or financial obligations to the state.
However, in a recent session of the Liberian Senate, Grand Kru County Senator Albert Tugbe Chie, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Works and Rural Development, revealed that the government has reopened dialogue on the same infrastructure package — this time under the Unity Party administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
Senator Chie told the Senate plenary that the government was revisiting the deal as part of efforts to address critical infrastructure gaps across the country. He did not provide specific details about how the new version of the agreement would differ from the one previously shelved.
Senator Dillon’s swift response signaled a potential rift within the legislative ranks of the Unity Party government, as he is widely seen as a political ally of President Boakai. His warning suggests that previous critiques of the deal — including its lack of due diligence, unclear repayment terms, and alleged irregularities — remain unresolved.
The reemergence of the ETON-EBOMAF deal has already sparked concerns among transparency advocates and opposition lawmakers, who argue that any attempt to revisit the agreements must involve full legislative oversight, stakeholder engagement, and public disclosure.
As public interest grows, all eyes are now on the Boakai administration to clarify its intentions and whether the revamped proposal will reflect better terms, improved transparency, and broader national consensus than its predecessor.
