The National Civil Society Union of Liberia (NACSUL) says it appreciates His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah for giving a listening ear to the call of the Liberian people, through NACSUL, to appoint Edwina Zackpah as Chairperson of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA).
The Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) is the regulatory authority charged with the statutory responsibility of ensuring a vibrant telecommunications sector in Liberia. The LTA was created by the Telecommunications ACT of 2007 (Telecom Act 2007), which repealed in its entirety Act No. 18 of the erstwhile National Transitional Legislative Assembly of Liberia creating an Interim Framework for Telecommunications Regulation in September 2005.
The institution was headed by Edwina Crump Zackpah as Acting Chairperson, a position she occupied for nearly two years. President Weah named Zackpah as Acting Chairperson of LTA on June 5, 2020 after the suspension of then LTA boss, Ivan Brown, and she has since been working to improve the institution.
Meanwhile, NACSUL said they wished to commend President Weah for the appointment of Zackpah as the Chairperson-proper of the LTA, as she has maintained sanity at the entity since she took over. The group noted that Zackpah, as Acting Chairperson, had several limitations when it comes to carrying out the day-to-day activities of the entity, and that appointment by the President will give her the leverage to execute her function adequately.
According to the President of NACSUL, Amos B.S. Kanneh, Zackpah comes to the position with vast experience and competence, as well as moral rectitude. He said her appointment to the position is a boost for President Weah in his promotion for gender equality in his government, as he is the Feminist-in-Chief of the Republic.
Kanneh said a research conducted by NACSUL reveals that Zackpah was nominated for a seat to the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) Board of Commissioners by President George Mannah Weah in August 2018. She was confirmed unanimously by the Liberian Senate. She began her four-year tenure as Commissioner of Licensing and Regulations on September 1, 2018 under the Chairmanship of Ivan Brown.
According to the civil society group, Commissioner Zackpah brings over a decade of senior management experience from the public and private sectors in developing innovative banking and finance ICT services. “These experiences and her life’s journey have helped to define her passion that developing a strong ICT sector is the engine needed to improve the economy, education, agriculture, security, accountability, efficiency, banking and finance,” the group noted.
Prior to joining the LTA, Commissioner Zackpah worked at the Liberian Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI) as the Vice President for Mortgage from November 2011 to August 2018, initially under the leadership of Francis Dennis and, later, John B.S. Davies III. She developed and launched the 1st and only 10-year mortgage loan product being offered in the Republic of Liberia. She worked closely with policy makers to create an enabling environment for the sustainable growth of the housing and mortgage sectors.
She previously worked with the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LIBTELCO) as the Director for Administration from February 2008 to November 2011, which was led by Managing Director Ben Wolo. She served as a member of the senior management team of professionals put together to resurrect LTC, which is now known as LIBTELCO.
President Kanneh said since her appointment by President Weah as caretaker of the entity, she has shown the ability to conduct the affairs of these institutions with competence, professionalism and high degree of honesty.