The Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), Mo Ali, has cautioned that the proposed Port Autonomy Bill could become a “legal time bomb,” if it is not carefully reviewed by legal experts before implementation.
Speaking on the growing controversy surrounding the bill mid-week, Ali urged President Joseph N. Boakai to follow due process by submitting the legislation to the Minister of Justice and other lawyers for what he described as a “third-eye review.”
He said he is not fully clear on the intent of the bill and believes it raises serious institutional and legal questions.
According to him, one of the major concerns is that the bill could encroach on the functions of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), an institution he noted is among the country’s largest revenue generators.
He further said if port functions currently handled by LiMA are to be decentralized, such changes must be done through proper legislative amendments to the law establishing the Maritime Authority.
Ali also warned that any decision affecting maritime operations must take into account Liberia’s international obligations, particularly its commitments to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
He stressed that removing or altering maritime responsibilities without careful legal review could expose the country to international compliance issues.
“Holistically, we have to consider all the implications—positive and negative,” Ali said, adding that decisions taken today could have long-term consequences for the country’s governance and revenue systems.
The LWSC head clarified that his comments were not meant to attack the motives of those who drafted or support the bill. Instead, he said his position is driven by concern for the national interest and the need to ensure that any reform genuinely benefits Liberia as a whole.
While acknowledging that the Port Autonomy Bill may offer benefits to certain local communities, including Greenville, Ali emphasized that port resources belong to the entire nation and should be managed in a way that balances local development with national priorities.
He called on lawmakers and the Executive to proceed with caution, warning that failure to thoroughly examine the bill could create legal and institutional conflicts that would be difficult to resolve in the future. By: Wroinbee Elton Tiah/Ablee-Jay TV