MONROVIA — Commerce Minister Magdalene E. Dagoseh is facing heightened scrutiny as internal documents contradict her Ministry’s assertion that no procurement activity occurred before October 31, the date the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) formally approved the US$429,000 renovation plan for the Monrovia Industrial Park. While Minister Dagoseh’s office has repeatedly insisted that all processes aligned with procurement law, newly obtained evidence raises serious concerns about early contracting, unauthorized work, and potential conflicts of interest within the Ministry she leads.
According to statements issued by Minister Dagoseh’s Ministry, procurement for the Industrial Park rehabilitation only began after PPCC clearance. However, a document trail obtained by this outlet reveals that Wreyou Construction Company was selected weeks earlier. A procurement requisition authorizing payment to the company was reportedly approved on October 2, almost a full month before the PPCC’s green light. The early approval suggests that decisions were made prior to regulatory oversight, contradicting the Ministry’s public stance and raising questions about accuracy and compliance under Minister Dagoseh’s leadership.
Compounding the controversy are reports that construction activities at the Monrovia Industrial Park started well before the PPCC approval date. Multiple individuals familiar with the project confirmed seeing Wreyou Construction mobilizing on-site weeks ahead of official authorization. Such actions, if validated, would constitute a violation of public procurement law, which strictly prohibits any work or contractual engagement before approval. Critics say these reported activities directly challenge Minister Dagoseh’s assurances of procedural integrity.
Fueling further concerns is information that Wreyou Construction is simultaneously involved in developing a private project linked to Minister Dagoseh in Grand Bassa County. Although no formal findings have linked the public contract to the Minister’s private development, the overlap raises red flags among governance observers. Anti-corruption advocates warn that even the appearance of such dual engagements deepens public mistrust and underscores the need for investigation into whether preferential treatment may have influenced the procurement process.
These procurement concerns emerged while the Inter-Agency Advisory Board of the Monrovia Industrial Park was finalizing a major resolution on rehabilitating the declining industrial zone. The Board, composed of representatives from the Ministries of Public Works, Justice, Labor, Finance and Development Planning, the EPA, and other agencies, approved a US$429,009 budget for the final quarter of the 2025 fiscal year. Their resolution emphasized the urgent need for rehabilitation, improved security, and enhanced publicity to revitalize the park. However, the Board’s decision does not override procurement requirements, a point now central to the emerging dispute.
The Industrial Park, once a 1,112-acre zone created in 1966 for major industrial activity, has suffered from decades of encroachment, shrinking to just 200 usable acres. The Ministry of Commerce assumed oversight of the park in 2017 after then-President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf transferred responsibility from the National Investment Commission. Under Minister Dagoseh’s tenure, the Ministry has pledged to modernize the park, but the current procurement saga threatens to overshadow those efforts.
The Advisory Board also directed the Ministry to create a comprehensive master plan addressing critical challenges such as water, electricity, environmental safeguards, sanitation, and security. It further instructed Minister Dagoseh’s team to develop a vigorous plan to address land encroachment, including hiring a private legal practitioner to recover illegally occupied property. Additionally, the Board encouraged the Ministry to consider Public-Private Partnership or Build-Operate-Transfer arrangements to revitalize the park’s management and expansion.
Despite these forward-looking goals, the unfolding procurement discrepancies have raised concern across government and civil society. If procurement actions were taken before the PPCC approval, the Ministry of Commerce could be in violation of the Public Procurement and Concessions Act, which could trigger administrative penalties or even invalidate sections of the project. Stakeholders argue that Minister Dagoseh must now address these allegations directly to avoid further erosion of public trust.
Lawmakers, civil society organizations, and procurement observers are calling on Minister Dagoseh to clarify how Wreyou Construction was selected, why a payment requisition was approved early, and whether construction work began unlawfully. Given the Industrial Park’s strategic value to Liberia’s manufacturing sector, critics warn that procurement shortcuts, perceived or real, could undermine investor confidence and weaken the government’s broader economic agenda.
As pressure mounts, Minister Magdalene E. Dagoseh faces increasing calls for transparency and accountability. The coming days will determine whether the Ministry provides a full explanation or whether the controversy escalates into another high-profile procurement scandal. One thing remains clear: the credibility of the Commerce Ministry’s oversight of critical national projects hangs in the balance.
