Monrovia — Montserrado County District #3 Representative, Sumo K. Mulbah, has strongly opposed the proposed decentralization and autonomy of Liberia’s ports, describing the move as untimely, risky, and not in the best interest of the Liberian people.
Speaking Thursday on the Closing Argument talk show, Rep. Mulbah warned that granting autonomy to individual ports could weaken the operational capacity of rural ports and place additional strain on Liberia’s already fragile port infrastructure.
He questioned whether rural ports such as Greenville (Sinoe County) and Harper (Maryland County) currently possess the technical expertise, financial strength, and operational capacity required to function independently outside the National Port Authority (NPA).
“Decentralization at this stage will not empower rural ports; it will expose their weaknesses,” Mulbah said. “Most of these ports lack the revenue base, skilled manpower, and enforcement mechanisms to survive on their own.”
The lawmaker further cautioned that revenue generation at rural ports remains weak, largely due to limited commercial activity and ineffective law enforcement, making autonomy impractical under current conditions.
According to Mulbah, maintaining all ports under the National Port Authority ensures a centralized benefit-sharing system, where stronger ports such as the Freeport of Monrovia can support weaker ones through a unified regulatory and financial framework.
He also warned that port autonomy could deepen political and regional tensions, particularly among counties such as Grand Bassa, Sinoe, and Maryland, where competing interests over port revenues already exist.
“Autonomy could fuel unnecessary political divisions and competition over revenues, instead of fostering national cohesion and shared development,” he added.
Mulbah concluded by urging policymakers to focus on strengthening infrastructure, improving governance, and boosting commercial activity at rural ports before considering any form of decentralization.
