MONROVIA – In the wake of the uproar that attended the recent visit of the Joint Legislative Committee to Nimba County to conduct an assessment of the ArcelorMittal Liberia concession area regarding contentions about the steel giant’s alleged failure to live up to certain aspects of its Mineral Development Agreement (MDA), opposition lawmaker and Grand Kru County Senator Numene T.H. Bartekwa says Senator Nya Twayen of Nimba was too antagonistic and combative to form part of the delegation that carried out a fact finding tour of AML’s concession area.
According to Senator Bartekwa who also serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Concessions and Investment, he doesn’t understand the source of Senator Twayen’s anger, when in fact, he Twayen was the one who raised the issue about AML’s non-compliance with certain aspects of their MDA.
“He raised the issue. In the first place, he indicated the Committees because he knew the relevant committee as per the issues he raised. He talked about the Committee on Concession Investments, he talked about Mines and Energy, he talked about Public Works, he talked about Public Accounts, he talked about all these committees. And exactly as he recommended, the Plenary constituted the Committee. And that’s the Committee that had been working all along with the people. Where his anger comes from, nobody knows,” Senator Bartekwa said when he spoke with the media upon his delegation’s return from Nimba County over the weekend.
Continuing, the Grand Kru County lawmaker said it is not the first time that lawmakers have raised issues with concessionaries operating their counties, but the situation with Senator Twayen not been included in the fact-finding delegation is somehow unprecedented due to his belligerence and intransigence in finding resolution to the issues he raised.
“That is why usually when claims like his are lifted, normally, the senator that raised the issue is not always left out. For instance, Botoe Kanneh raised issue against Bao Chico, and when we were going there, Botoe Kanneh was there. Simeon Taylor raised issues against Bea Mountain in Cape Mount. He was there. Prince Moye raised issue against MG Gold. Where we were going there, he was there. But his issue is not as constructive as those other senators are. He is combative. He is antagonistic. So, how could we carry him if we wanted the whole issue to be peaceful, especially when the people are looking at their experience with him; that any time he sees them, he combats them; any time he sees them, his engagement with them is not constructive?” Senator Bartekwa wondered.
What next, after fact-finding mission
Queried as to the next course of action following the fact-finding mission in Nimba County, Senator Bartekwa said his committee is preparing a report that will be presented to Plenary as soon as the Legislature resumes session. He however added that the fact-finding will be extended to Grand Bassa County because Bassa forms part of the AML concession area.
“We’ve seen what has happened, and we have taken records. That is why we have carried all the relevant people. We took our staff, we took the press from the Senate, we took the Sergeant-at-arms, we carried all the relevant people. We will compile our report.
“When we are addressing issues of Nimba, we don’t want the Bassa people to come out and say they have an issue too. We are doing it holistically. We also must go to Bassa because AML operation affects Bassa,” Senator Bartekwa said.
The Grand Kru lawmaker furthered that Senator Nya Twayen’s intimidation and aggression will never deter his committee from doing its work for and on behalf of the Liberian people.
“I am wondering how he wants the issue he raised to be discussed with the people. We must engage with them constructively. We must work with them and ensure that all of those problems that he listed are mitigated and solved, then the people of Nimba will be served directly.
“In fact, let me give an example. During the past regime similar situation occurred and we went to Nimba with then Internal Minister Sirleaf was there. When we went there, the same situation. The Nimba people put County Devil out. When I got frightened and was quiet, Minister Sirleaf took that joke on me every time he met me, saying the devil is coming. These experiences we are used to them, but because our activities, our programs are in the interest of our people, we will continue to engage.
“The reason for which today 20% is being left with the affected communities was because of that trip that we went on, where I was chair and led the Senate. That’s how when we came back and made our report, the Seante engaged the Executive and all of us concluded that 20% of the money that is normally provided by the concessionaire should be left with the affected community. Today, the affected communities have benefited 20% because of my initiative. The same way I took people to Nimba back then is the same way I took them the other day. I did not go there to amass wealth for myself.
“We are serving the people of this country, and the people of Nimba are part of the people of Liberia we are serving. So, I did not go there to amass wealth for myself We are serving the people of this country, and the people of Nimba are part of the people of Liberia that we are serving. That is why we will continue to engage; we will continue to ensure that AML does that it is supposed to do in the interest of the people – the people of Nimba in particular and the people of Liberia in general,” Senator Bartekwa said stoically.
Caveat to stakeholders
Giving his overall impression about the fact-finding tour of the AML concession area in Nimba County, Senator Bartekwa said the Committee observed that relevant line ministries have failed in fiduciary duties to regularly monitor AML, and because of that, the steel giant has been left on its own to operate. Bartekwa sees this lapse as one of the main causes of the contentions that are erupting over the steel company’s operations.
“I call on the relevant ministries and agencies that are responsible to provide supervision to these concessionaires, there attitude of always neglecting or ignoring implementing provisions of their agreements with the government of Liberia that affects the lives of the people is very unacceptable.
“The only way we will ensure that they do what they are supposed to do is to engage them constructively, sustainably, and keep their feet to fire. They only at their economic objectives for which they are here. This is unfair to us. Liberia has its own resources, but because we don’t have the capacity to exploit the resources, that is why we came into partnership with us. So, when you are getting your benefits, let us also get our fair share. Part of our fair share is, attending to the needs of our people in the community in which your concession is located.
“I will advise them to continue to hold their feet to fire. Any time that you think you want to engage them, do it. Don’t wait for them to call you before you go there. Regularly, either on a quarterly basis, visit them. Mines and Energy need to really be in proactive engagement with AML, otherwise we will continue to be talking. But our committee will also sustain our engagement with them because they have only five years left, of all the years that they operated and existed,” Senator Bartekwa said.