MONROVIA – The Bureau of State Enterprise is in the news once again, not for the any good reason yet again. Former president Weah was compelled to institute disciplinary action against officials of the BSE in the aftermath of incessant leadership feud. A fortnight again, President Boakai suspended the head of the Bureau for alleged corruption. While inks are yet to get dry on those developments, the two top officials left to steer the operations of that important state institution are reportedly locked in verbal hostility. The Analyst reports.
The Bureau of State Enterprise (BRE) established by Decree No. 8 in 1985 to advise the government on policies and administration related to state-owned enterprise (SOEs), while monitoring and assessing the performance of SOEs to ensure they operate efficiently and effectively, is in homegrown crisis, as two officials are rendering operations virtually impaired.
Tasked recently to produce a comprehensive report that would review remunerations, stipends and operational glitches affecting SOEs, Liberians were shocked when President Boakai recently suspended BSE Acting Director General Arthur Massaquoi over financial and administration malpractices. Now, it appears that all hell has broken loose at the institution that has the official mandate to checkmate other SOEs.
Acting Deputy Director General for Operations Roosevelt K. Forh has opened a can of worms, accusing Acting Director General and Officer-in-Charge Varlee F. Sarnor for overstepping his bounds, usurping the functions of his (Forh’s) office, and reversing all decisions taken by the suspended DG that were meant to enhance efficient and effective operations at the Bureau of State Enterprises.
Registering a litany of complaints to his immediate boss Varlee Sarnor, Mr. Forh also copied the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, the Legal Advisor to the President, the Chairman of the Law Reform Commission and the Director General of the Civil Service Agency, decrying what he termed as the unbearable working environment that persists at the BSE since Mr. Sarnor took over as OIC.
According to Forh’s letter, a copy of which is in possession of this paper, OIC Sarnor has disrupted operational continuity of the BSE by his unilateral action.
He wrote “With deep regret, I write to inform you of the impact of your blatant disregard for the operational arm of the Bureau of State Enterprises (BSE) since you assumed the role of Officer-in-Charge (IC).Your actions to unilaterally reverse decisions and policy actions previously approved by the suspended Director General (DG) have hindered the smooth functioning of the BSE. Therefore, it is imperative that I officially inform you about the magnitude of the impact of your actions on the BSE since you assumed the role of OIC.
“When you assumed the role of OIC of the BSE on June 26, 2025, following the suspension of DG Massaquoi, I was looking forward to our first engagement, where I could update you on on-going interactions with SOEs and other stakeholders. However, you decided to call a meeting on June 27, 2025, with heads of units who report directly to me, without my knowledge. You then organized a general meeting with employees, a decision I only learned about on the day of the meeting, June 30, 2025. Although you did not invite me to the June 30 meeting, I still chose to attend in good faith before leaving for another scheduled meeting.
“I later found out that during the meeting, you reversed decisions approved by the suspended DG, especially those concerning contractors whose Personnel Action Notice (PAN) forms were approved by DG Massaquoi for processing by the Civil Service Agency (CSA). This led me to decide to contact you at your office on July 2, 2025, to discuss a better way forward to ensure the smooth operation of the institution.
“Meanwhile, during my meeting with you in the presence of other senior management team members, I told you it was important to discuss issues that have serious implications. You responded that you don’t need a team to make decisions concerning the BSE because you are the one the President trusted with running the institution. When I mentioned that many things are currently on hold since the suspension of DG Massaquoi, you replied that I am being paid to do my job, so nothing is on hold. I agree that I am being paid for my work, but what you fail to realize is that your actions and decisions since you took on the role of OIC of the institution have disrupted my work as Deputy Director General for Operations.
“Please be reminded that department of Operations, which I oversee, is responsible for implementing the core functions of the BSE and managing all technical affairs of the institution. Therefore, your decision to circumvent my office as Deputy Director General for Operations will significantly affect the BSEs ability to fulfil its obligations in implementing the AAID and other national policies,” Forh lamented in his letter to OIC Sarnor.
“Currently, the execution of the Department of Operations’ approved operational plan, which DG Massaquoi authorized at the start of this year, is on hold because you have refused to give attention to everything that concerns the operations of the BSE. You have held everything hostage at the institution, which is impacting the Bureau’s ability to meet the EU budget support triggers and implement the Performance Management Compliance System (PMCS) targets.
“Just the day before yesterday, the EU reached out to us to inquire about the status of our implementation of the budget support trigger for 2025- the submission of the BSE Act to the National Legislature. Additionally, the Ministry of State and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) contacted us for updates on the implementation of the PMCS and the AAID. Moreover, the Bureau’s Service Charter Billboard, which was scheduled to be erected on June 26, has yet to be made available to the public in line with the PMCS. You have slowed down all of these activities by disorganizing the technical team put together by DG Massaquoi to handle these technical tasks.
“Your actions and their effects on the institution are among the issues the President aimed to address when he issued the Directive, “Clarification on the Role and Authority of Acting Heads of Government Institutions”, on November 28, 2024, to protect the integrity of government operations and maintain consistency with established procedures,” Forh said.
Continuing, the acting DG for Operations said OIC Sarnor’s actions run counter to President Boakai’s November 2024 mandate limiting the actions of Acting Heads only to execute financial, personnel, and policy decisions that were pre-approved by the substantive heads before their departure.
“In situations where the substantive head is unavailable due to illness, incapacity, suspension, dismissal, or other urgent matters, the acting head must seek prior approval from the Office of the President before taking any significant actions.
“As OIC, you continue to undo the decisions and approvals made by DG Massaquoi, thus violating the President’s Directive. Let me recount a few of your actions against the President’s Directive to refresh your mind.
“You have refused to release the salaries of contractors for June and other requests and payments, which were approved by the DG Massaquoi before his suspension just the day before yesterday, during the evening hours of June 2025. According to you, all decisions made by DG Massaquoi before his suspension on that day are invalid.
“You unilaterally asked all contractors to stay away from work amidst the process of on boarding them to the CSA payroll, a decision that has seriously affected our work in the Department of Operations. You made this decision without any consultation with my office.
“Furthermore, you chase out the staff of DG Massaquoi from his office and changed the locks to the office, denying access to every document left on his desk for action. In fact, you told those of his staff who were awaiting employment not to be seen anywhere around the premises of the institution.
“You are currently working with the HR Director to undo all the employment PAN forms approved by the DG for processing by the CSA.
“All of the above actions, intended to reverse decisions made by DG Massaquoi, exceed your authority as acting head and are in clear violation of the President’s directive to all acting heads of government institutions. Your recent actions and refusal to work with other members of the management team has disrupted the smooth functioning of the institution. Therefore, I advise that you correct your missteps and refrain from violating presidential directives to the detriment of the institution. I have attached a copy of the President’s November 28 Directive for your information,” Acting Deputy Director General Roosevelt K. Forh said.
It can be recalled that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on November 28, 2024 issued a directive clarifying the role and authority of acting heads of government institutions.
The directive followed reports that some acting heads were making unauthorized decisions of major policy implications during the temporary absence of substantive leaders. These actions, President Boakai noted, have led to confusion, disrupted policy continuity, and, in some instances, weakened the authority of heads of these entities.
In his directive, President Boakai emphasized that acting heads are to serve strictly as Officers in Charge, with their primary responsibility being the implementation of decisions and policies previously approved by the substantive heads of their respective entities.
To prevent any further disruptions, the President mandated the following measures:
1. Limited Authority: Acting heads are authorized only to execute financial, personnel, and policy decisions that were pre-approved by the substantive head before their departure.
2. Consultation for Urgent Matters: In situations where the substantive head is unavailable due to illness, incapacity, suspension, dismissal, or other urgent matters, the acting head must seek prior approval from the Office of the President before taking any significant actions.
President Boakai stressed that this directive is designed to safeguard the integrity of government operations and ensure consistency with established procedures.
“Acting heads must recognize their temporary roles and refrain from exceeding their authority. Such actions can disrupt governance and erode public trust,” the President stated. The President has directed that all government institutions, including acting heads and officers in charge, immediately adhere to these guidelines. The Office of the President will actively monitor compliance to uphold the principles of accountability and effective governance,” said Presidential Press Secretary Kula Bonah Nyei Fofana at the time.