Monrovia – Troubling allegations of backdoor hiring, financial mismanagement, and procedural breaches have engulfed the National Bureau of Concessions (NBC) under its Acting Director General, former senator Theodore Momo.
Verity Newspaper investigation uncovered that six individuals Elijah Sackie, George Gommo, Abraham Karnley, Ellen Whyte, Sekeh Togbah, and Nartu Kortu — presented themselves as NBC staff during a recent Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) exercise at APM Terminals. Multiple insiders allege the six were handpicked by Mr. Momo, who issued them appointment letters without clearance from the Civil Service Agency (CSA).
In an interview, Mr. Momo admitted signing the letters, but claimed the individuals were still awaiting formal approval.
“They have valid appointment letters from my office,” he said. “The CSA processes are being worked on.”
However, CSA Director Josiah Joekai flatly denied any recognition of the six as government employees, stressing that they do not appear on NBC’s payroll.
Cash Withdrawals and Irregular Payments
The M&E operation, which ran from May 5 to June 5, 2025, is also under scrutiny for questionable financial practices. Though Momo referred to the recruits as “volunteers,” documents obtained by Verity confirm they received official appointments and participated fully in the exercise.
Financial records further reveal that $10,000, budgeted for the project, was disbursed in cash to 25 field operatives including the six unapproved recruits. The payout violated the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act, which requires government disbursements to be made by cheque.
The controversy widened with payment vouchers totaling $10,615 signed in the name of NBC’s Deputy Director General for Concessions, Cllr. B. Rachell Yarbah Duobah. The vouchers include $6,000 (check #00343224, April 24, 2025) and $4,615 (check #0034322). Cllr. Duobah has denied authorizing any such transactions.
Sources at the bureau emphasized that the Deputy DG has no authority over disbursements a role reserved exclusively for the Finance Department further fueling suspicions of internal irregularities.
Breach of Finance Protocols
According to Ministry of Finance regulations, all Daily Subsistence Allowances (DSA) must be processed through the Finance Department, reviewed by Internal Audit, and issued via individual cheques. In this case, however, cheques were reportedly issued directly in the Deputy DG’s name, bypassing internal controls.
What has raised even more questions is that the exercise was conducted in Monrovia, at APM Terminals. Critics argue that DSA payments for activities in the city are unjustifiable.
LACC Probe into Mismanagement
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has already opened an investigation into Momo’s leadership. In April 2025, the LACC began probing allegations of misappropriating LRD 2 million in DSA payments and USD 1.3 million in funds earmarked for wrongful dismissal settlements an amount said to exceed NBC’s annual budget.
Other concerns highlighted in the investigation include:
• Unauthorized fuel and lubricant usage during the M&E operation.
• NBC’s failure to produce its FY2024 Annual Report despite funding allocation.
• The unexplained disappearance of a UNDP-donated Toyota Land Cruiser worth USD 45,000, which Momo blamed on his predecessor.
The Internal Audit Agency (IAA) also confirmed that it was never notified of the $10,000 withdrawal, indicating that normal checks and balances were avoided.
Growing Calls for Accountability
Critics say the NBC, a statutory body tasked with ensuring compliance across all concession agreements, has virtually broken down under Momo’s stewardship.
“The bureau has collapsed due to leadership failure,” one insider said.
As the LACC intensifies its probe, public pressure is mounting on the government to take swift action to restore accountability and integrity at the Bureau of Concessions.
