By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
CAPITOL HILL — Opposition lawmaker Musa Hassan Bility of Nimba County District #7 has issued a scathing critique of the National Legislature’s recent passage of an amendment to the Act establishing the National Port Authority (NPA), warning that the move threatens democratic accountability and risks reducing the Legislature to an “auxiliary of the Executive.”
In a strongly worded public statement, Rep. Bility condemned the manner in which the bill—authorizing the creation of multiple autonomous ports across Liberia—was passed by both chambers of the Legislature.
He cited a lack of public hearings, absence of expert input, and what he described as “secrecy and speed” in the House’s concurrence with the Senate’s version of the legislation.
“This is a matter of national significance,” Bility said. “It affects commerce, sovereignty, fiscal oversight, and the future structure of our economy. And yet, it was passed without public hearings, without expert opinions, and without the involvement of key stakeholders.”
Bility, a first-term representative and vocal opposition figure, said many lawmakers were not even given the opportunity to read or debate the bill before it was passed, calling the process “shameful” and a “betrayal” of the Legislature’s constitutional responsibilities.
“What happened is shameful. It is a betrayal, not only of our constitutional responsibility as legislators, but of the very principles for which countless Liberians have fought and died,” he said.
The NPA amendment, which allows for the decentralization of port operations by creating autonomous ports across the country, has sparked controversy among some civil society groups and members of the private sector, who fear it could weaken centralized oversight and open the door to corruption or inefficiencies.
Bility warned that the Legislature’s hasty endorsement of the bill sets a “perilous precedent” and undermines the doctrine of checks and balances.
“We have dangerously reduced the Legislature to an auxiliary of the Executive,” he stated. “If we allow critical national decisions to be made in silence and secrecy, without scrutiny or participation, then we are no longer a functioning democracy—we are a façade.”
The representative called on his colleagues to “reflect deeply” on their role in safeguarding democratic governance and cautioned that the legacy of the current 55th Legislature hangs in the balance.
As of press time, legislative leadership had not issued an official response to Bility’s remarks.
