A thorough investigation by Verity News has uncovered a 10-page leaked dossier exposing how local staff are being suppressed and abused.
“As prestigious as Lone Star Cell MTN appears to be, it remains a slave dungeon deeply accommodating some of the worst labor practices. It is a covert cartel of expatriates, most of whom are illegally hired to collaboratively and smartly manipulate shareholders to keep them in Liberia beyond their allowable tenure while transferring enormous wealth to their countries,” The Leak Asserted.
The 10-page dossier accuses Lone Star Cell MTN of being in blatant violation of the Decent Work Act, a law crucial for ensuring fair labor practices in Liberia, enacted with the intent to uplift the country’s workforce by promoting quality employment, protecting workers’ rights, and establishing transparent labor market governance.
As Liberia’s labor sector faces a critical moment, Verity News’ investigation reveals alleged violations of this law at MTN Liberia, one of the country’s oldest and largest telecommunications companies.
Despite the Act’s clear provisions, MTN Liberia appears to have built a hostile environment of exploitation, prioritizing foreign interests over the welfare of Liberian workers according to the leak.
The Act requires that all job vacancies be advertised publicly and filled based on merit. Only when no qualified Liberian is available should foreign workers, known as expatriates, be considered. However, information gathered by this paper has shown how MTN Liberia has shown a violation of legal requirements, especially in hiring foreign staff.
Illegal Hiring of Expatriates
“In flagrant violation of the Liberian Labor Law, MTN Liberia has been hiring expatriates illegally, bypassing the established process of vetting and approval by the Ministry of Labor.
Key positions at the company are held by expatriates, including the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), and Chief Technical Information Officer (CTIO), among others.” the leak indicated.
Our Investigation shows that these individuals including Ghanaians, Nigerians, Indians, and South Africans were not hired through the legally mandated channels.
Instead, their appointments were facilitated through manipulative practices that exclude qualified Liberians from competing for senior management roles.
“MTN Liberia has strategically kept these expatriates in the country beyond their allowable tenure, ensuring that their wealth continues to flow out of Liberia, while local workers struggle with substandard wages and limited job opportunities.
The hiring process, which should allow the Ministry of Labor to vet the expatriates’ qualifications, is routinely sidestepped, leaving Liberia with a workforce dominated by foreign employees who may not possess the requisite skills or experience.”
Succession Plan – A Tool for Exclusion and Exploitation:
MTN Liberia’s policy of requiring local managers to sign a two-year succession plan, ostensibly to replace expatriates, has become another tool for undermining Liberian potentials. Since the company’s inception, no Liberian has ever successfully replaced an expatriate in a senior role.
The reasons are reportedly both systemic and deliberate, that is, the business refuses to invest in the capacity-building of local staff, and expatriates who control training and budgets thereby manipulating the board into believing that Liberians are incapable of taking over key roles.
This manipulation ensures the continued dominance of foreign workers, while local talent remains marginalized. Numerous examples illustrating this trend include: Kollid Sorsor, a capable Liberian manager, replaced a senior Nigerian executive, only to have the role downgraded. Similarly, Kolubah Flomo acted as Chief Marketing Officer but was eventually replaced by an Indian, prompting Flomo to resign.
The pattern of suppressing local talent while elevating underqualified expatriates remains deeply entrenched at MTN Liberia.
Exploiting Local Contractors:
In addition to illegal hiring practices, MTN Liberia is outsourcing local labor to third-party contractors, paying these workers meager wages far below acceptable standards.
Contractors who have worked for over a decade are earning as little as USD $250 per month, while expatriates in similar roles take home tens of thousands of dollars.
This stark disparity highlights the exploitative environment that MTN Liberia has created, where the benefits of employment are skewed heavily in favor of foreign nationals, while local workers languish in poverty.
Abuse of Work Hours and Violation of Leave Entitlements:
MTN Liberia also violates the provisions of the Decent Work Act concerning work hours and employee rights.
The Act mandates an eight-hour workday, yet local employees at MTN are forced to work nine hours daily, often without compensation for the extra time.
Moreover, Verity News Investigation shows that the company has failed to post clear notices of working hours or keep accurate records of employee attendance, further violating the law. Annual leave entitlements are similarly abused, with employees being denied the opportunity to take leave in a single period, as required by law.
Unqualified Expatriates in Senior Roles:
A particularly alarming aspect of MTN Liberia’s operations is the apparent lack of qualifications among its expatriate staff.
Many of the expatriates occupying key leadership roles have never held similar positions before joining MTN Liberia.
For instance, the current CFO has no prior experience in a CFO role, and his predecessors were similarly unqualified.
This pattern extends across multiple departments, with expatriates being appointed to positions for which they lack the necessary experience, further diminishing the credibility of the company’s hiring practices.
The situation uncovered by Verity News points to a deeply flawed labor environment at MTN Liberia, where the Decent Work Act is routinely violated, and the rights of Liberian workers are trampled upon.
The company’s illegal hiring of expatriates, exploitation of local contractors, and disregard for labor laws not only harm individual employees but also undermine Liberia’s economic development.
If immediate action is not taken to address these issues, the continued abuse of the country’s workforce will erode public trust and cripple the future of Liberia’s labor market.
This requires a formal investigation into MTN Liberia’s work practices, allowing the government to take steps to ensure that the Decent Work Act is enforced to protect the rights and dignity of all Liberian workers.
Because of these practices allegedly within the company’s domain, several staff have resigned their posts.
Our investigation shows that, just in 2024, more than 15 persoons sent in their resignation including Amadu Kalley, Pierre Nemlin, Velds Mckor, Frannmel Barclay, Dehmah Paye, Jerred Devine, Kolubah Flomo, Bakoquelle, Jeremy Emery, Decontee Kupah among others, all of whom have been victimized from these illegal alleged practices at Lonestar Cell MTN.
By: Zac T. Sherman and G. Richards Watson
