MONROVIA – The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND) and WE THE PEOPLE Movement, organizers of the upcoming “Lead or Leave” protest scheduled for December 17, have accused the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of entering into what they describe as a “reckless and corrupt” oil contract with Atlas-Oranto Petroleum.
In a statement issued on Saturday, October 25, 2025, and signed by STAND Chairman Mulbah K. Morlu, Jr., the groups condemned the reported Production Sharing Contract (PSC) between the Boakai government and Atlas-Oranto Petroleum, which covers offshore oil blocks LB-15, LB-16, LB-22, and LB-24. The contract, valued at more than one billion U.S. dollars, was reportedly signed through the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA).
According to the statement, STAND’s investigation uncovered that the deal was executed secretly, without competitive bidding or public disclosure, in violation of multiple national and international laws. “This deal is a brazen attack on Liberia’s sovereignty, a blatant abuse of public trust, and a deliberate handover of the nation’s natural wealth to a private few,” the statement read.
The groups accused the government of bypassing key legal frameworks, including the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act of 2019, the Public Procurement and Concessions Act of 2010, and the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) Act of 2009. They further alleged that the agreement contradicts Liberia’s international obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) global standards.
“This is not investment, but exploitation,” STAND asserted, describing the Boakai administration’s action as a “mockery of Liberia’s commitment to good governance.” The group said the alleged secrecy surrounding the deal undermines the rule of law and mortgages the nation’s economic future for private gain.
STAND also recalled Oranto Petroleum’s controversial history in Liberia, claiming that between 2004 and 2007 the company obtained oil blocks LB-11, LB-12, and LB-14 through questionable means and later sold them to Chevron for over US$200 million without conducting a single exploration drill. The group argued that the new deal follows the same corrupt pattern of speculation and profiteering that has denied Liberia tangible benefits from its natural resources.
According to STAND, its research shows that Oranto Petroleum lacks both the financial and technical capacity for deepwater exploration, which typically costs between US$80 million and US$200 million per well. The organization alleged that the company’s true intent is to resell Liberia’s oil assets for profit, leaving the country “empty-handed and exploited once again.”
In its call to action, the protest coalition demanded that the National Legislature reject and immediately cancel the Atlas-Oranto Petroleum deal, while urging lawmakers to ensure that all future oil contracts undergo open and competitive bidding. The groups also called for an independent investigation into officials and entities involved in negotiating and approving the agreement.
“Liberia’s natural resources are the collective inheritance of its people, not a private estate for corrupt elites,” the statement emphasized. It further warned that the continued sale of national assets through secretive deals threatens to ignite social unrest and erode public confidence in the government’s anti-corruption agenda.
STAND and WE THE PEOPLE concluded by reaffirming plans to mobilize citizens for a nationwide peaceful protest on December 17 under the banner “Lead or Leave.” The movement said the demonstration, dubbed “Operation Octopus,” would mark a decisive moment in Liberia’s fight against corruption, bad governance, and what it described as the reckless sale of national resources.
