Traditional Council Chief Wants BMMC Resettlement Action Plan, Concessional Agreement ‘Revisited’
Wants From Writer-Mack Rogers| Western Liberia|
As the crisis at the Bea Mountain Mining Corporation operating in western Liberia which has drawn the attention of stakeholders to intervene in the ongoing situation, mediators this week in the Kinjor and Larjor discussion in Sinje, said from the investigation conducted, they see no conflict in Kinjor.
The indicated that what is tying down the progress of the area is the people themselves and not the company, and further warned that until the inhabitants of Kinjor including the youths, elder of that area understand themselves and stop the internal fight, development will continue to elude them. They further noted that because of the disunity among them, the company continues to ride on them.
Chief Zanzan Koiwah who spoke on behalf of the Traditional Council of Liberia, call for a revisit of the Resettlement Action Plan and Concessional Agreement .
He also used occasion halt all Poro activities. He wrong Mr. Sando Wayne for his call made to the company’s chief of security that cause him to release order also to the ERU that led to the shoot out of two civilians.
The Traditional Council Chief further said, Mr. Wayne should understand that he is a Liberian and he should also consider himself as a twin father. For his part, Representative Mambu Sonii of District #2 lauded Chief Zanzan Kaiwah for his sound analysis in the Kinjor case.
He also believed that the Kinjor Problem is the people themselves and want the Minister of Internal Affairs to have another meeting and settle the internal problems between the elders, youths and the land owners or else, they will always continue to cry.
In remarks, Internal Affairs Minister, Varney Sirleaf, thanks all of the speakers for their participation and said there are going to be several meetings in order to find a lasting solution to the Kinjor problem. Minister Sirleaf also vowed to constructively engage the land owners including the elders so they all can sit to dialogue on the Kinjor issue.
The Internal Affairs Minister in his remarks, appeal to the Bea Mountain Management to put ceiling in all of the housing units under construction for the residents and also varnish them. He also encouraged the company to move a bit further to have the clinic effectively running.
The Minister further call on the company to consider the agriculture program that is in the Resettlement Action Plan so other who are not educated can take advantage of that. In a related development, the Minister also instructed the company to pay the three-year land rented fees owed to the administrators of the Kinjor land.
The company alluded owing the administrators for that period and said, they will calculate the total figure and be able to adhere to it. Another issue, Minister Sirleaf also emphasized on in the Wednesday meeting, was the issue of job security and want the company to give it serious attention to, especially jobs that Liberian are capable of doing, should be awarded to them following a vetting process. ”It is sad to note that Foreign National are given job, such as truck drivers, steel bender, block laying job among several others are awarded to them”.
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