LTM Traffic-Control:

LTM Traffic-Control:

Cyrus Raises Nat’l Security Concerns

By Domingo Dargbeh

Lofa County Senator Momo Tarnuekollie Cyrus, has voiced his opposition to the government’s decision to outsource vehicle registration and driver’s license issuance to the foreign-controlled entity, Liberia Traffic Management (LTM). Cyrus the chairman for the Senate Committee on Defense, Security, Intelligence and Veteran Affairs. He told a team of journalists that the decision characterized as a “gross misjudgment,” presents significant national security, economic, and sovereignty issues. “No sovereign nation entrusts vital identification and vehicular regulatory functions to a foreign-based commercial interest,” Sen. Cyrus said.

He told the reporters that the “arrangement exposes the country to potential data breaches, and undermines the national control of its transportation systems.”  The controversial deal, the Cyrus said, was initially signed in 2019, granting LTM authority over critical national functions, including the handling of biometric data, global positioning system (GPS) tracking, identity verification, and oversight of all registered vehicles. Sen. Cyrus said, such ‘sensitive information’ should be managed exclusively by domestic institutions, particularly given its implications for terrorism prevention, law enforcement coordination, and border security. He criticized the revenue-sharing structure of the agreement, which allows LTM to retain a staggering 70 percent of all proceeds from driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations, license plates, and roadworthiness certificates.  “This is a giveaway of national revenue,” he said, highlighting the lack of a guaranteed minimum revenue, no escalation clause, and no cap on profits for LTM.

In addition to financial concerns, Cyrus raised alarms about the displacement of over 200 Liberians, many of whom were employees of the Ministry of Transport and the Liberia National Police. He described the foreign outsourcing as “economically reckless and morally unacceptable,” particularly in a context where unemployment remains a pressing issue.

Sen. Cyrus meanwhile, called for the immediate intervention of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, urging him to suspend the agreement, and facilitate a comprehensive legislative review.

“We must ask, who vetted this company? What legal framework governs this concession? Why is there no oversight, no transparency, and no clear safeguard for citizen data and economic interests? This government must place Liberian interests first,” Sen. Cyrus added.

 As the debate intensifies, a bystander, schooled to the system said, it remains to be seen how the government will respond to these serious concerns Sen. Cyrus raised, and the implications this outsourcing deal may have for the country’s national sovereignty and security.