Monrovia, Liberia – The National Transit Authority (NTA) says it will neither serve as a custodian for funds nor provide transportation services for the governing Unity Party’s (UP) upcoming homecoming celebration scheduled for December 6, 2025.
The clarification was issued Tuesday, December 2, by Melvin Cephas, the NTA’s Deputy Managing Director for Administration, during a live radio appearance in Monrovia. Cephas’ comments come amid growing public speculation that the government-run transport agency would assist the ruling party with logistical support for its major political event.
“The NTA will not hold any money from the Unity Party for the December 6 program,” Cephas said firmly. He dismissed rumors that the UP had already approached the agency to store funds or make logistical arrangements on its behalf.
Cephas also stressed that NTA buses ~ normally used for public transport ~ will not be deployed to shuttle the party’s supporters to and from the UP headquarters in Oldest Congo Town on the day of the homecoming.
“Our buses will not transport any Unity Party partisan to the December 6 program,” he declared. “The NTA is a national entity, not a political institution, and we must remain strictly professional in the execution of our duties.”
According to Cephas, any political organization seeking transportation services must follow standard procurement procedures. The Unity Party, he said, is welcome to secure private or commercial transport options if it requires logistical support for its gathering.
“Let the party rent a killer-bean bus or other commercial buses for transportation,” he added, referencing Liberia’s commonly used commercial minibuses.
Despite the restrictions placed on the ruling party’s request, Cephas clarified that the NTA remains open to providing transportation services to political parties that adhere to the agency’s rules, including formal applications, rental payments, and compliance with operational guidelines.
“If the political parties come to rent the bus, we will rent the bus to them,” he noted. “What we cannot do is compromise our neutrality or allow misuse of public assets for partisan purposes.”
The NTA’s position is expected to intensify public discussion around the use of state resources by political institutions, particularly as Liberia moves deeper into the 2025 political season. The Unity Party has not yet issued an official response to the NTA’s declaration.
The December 6 homecoming is expected to draw thousands of partisans and sympathizers, many of whom are anticipating the return of senior party leaders for what the UP has described as a “massive show of unity and strength.”
