MONROVIA: Several youths and local authorities have condemned in the strongest term a recent attack carried out by some people from Monrovia on Bea Mountain Mining Company-BMMC.
Early this week, a group of people, mainly from Monrovia attacked the company facilities and damaged one of its vehicles. This led the police to intervene swiftly.
As a result of, the Acting Superintendent for Grand Cape Mount County, Mr. Momodu Manobah on Wednesday, condemned the action and called on anyone who may have issues with the company to seek dialogue
“We need to work on it as a team to see what can we do to solve this. If there are issues, we should be able to sit and discuss and find a solution,” he said.
He added; “We are maintaining peace, but we need to sustain it.”
Due to the seriousness of the attack, some youths from Cape Mount County condemned the act.
Those who spoke against the attack were Mr. Benito Sherman, Richard Nyekan, and Victor Balo, who condemned it and called for a peaceful resolution. The statement was made when they appeared on Radio Cape Mount on Tuesday.
“We think that the best thing to do is to go through the rightful channel to seek redress. Protest cannot solve any problem. We condemn any form of attack,” they said.
The company employs about 4500 workers directly and about 6000 subcontractors.
According to some residents in the community, these young people continue their propaganda based on lies both in the capital and in the surrounding villages.
BMMC has been operating in Cape Mount for close ten years, but recently, a group of people presented 38 count demands for the company to act on or it would go on rampage. Some of the demands were to reinstate Mr. Sando Wayne, who once worked with the company as Government and Community Relations Manager and Mr. Henry Vincent who also worked as Community Relations Superintendent respectively. Both former employees were dismissed for inciting workers against management and other alleged criminal activities.
They also called for the employment of some citizens in top senior managerial positions.
But the company has a number of Liberians serving in top managerial positions. For example, The Human Resource Managers, Human Relations Superintendent, Corporate Relations Supervisors, Health and Safety Manager, Department Supervisors, Operational Department including; supervisors, superintendents, Transport Office are some of the positions.
Since the company started operations, it has embarked on several corporate projects for the welfare of the citizens.
BMMC has also constructed clinics in Kinjor, greatly helping to meet the health needs of citizens of the area. The company has over the years provided and is still providing stipends to health workers and teachers in its host communities. BMMC has also rehabilitated major roads in the county, including; the Kinjor to Daniel Town Road, Kinjor to Jenneh Brown, Kinjor to Jikandor, Jikandor to Malina roads among many others.
On the issue of sanitation, in New Liberty, BMMC has from time to time constructed and repaired hand pumps in communities such as Kinjor, Jawajeh, Blain, Deayelle, Jenneh Brown, Jikandor, Malina, Korma, Vai Town, Silent Hill, Jendema, and Massakpa in the Mtambo Corridor.
For instance, in May 2022, Bea Mountain through an MOU with citizens of the host communities, introduced the Clan Development Fund intended to implement community-driven projects in three clans, Darblo, Mana and Laar, in Gola Konneh District, Grand Cape Mount County. Annually, BMMC gives a total of US$150,000 to each of the three clans amounting to US$450,000. Since its introduction, Bea Mountain has disbursed the sum of US$900,000 under the Clan Development initiative. Chiefs and citizens have commended the company for such initiatives.
The police spokesman, Moses Carter told this paper on Thursday that they were investigating the attack.
“I am in contact with our commander in Kinjor to know the details. But we saw a vehicle that was attacked. We will not condone any act of violence in any part of this country.”
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