MONROVIA – President George Weah’s Special Envoy and Advisor is pleading with Liberians not to forget the legacy contributions of ArcelorMittal Liberia to its host counties, Grand Bassa and Nimba.
Rev. Dr. Lawrence Bropleh told students at the Grand Bassa University at a recent gathering that ArcelorMittal Liberia was the primary force behind the creation of what is now the Grand Bassa University (GBU).
Dr. Bropleh who is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Grand Bassa University traced the origin of the university to the willful involvement of private sector leader ArcelorMittal.
In his address to the Grand Bassa University Students Association,Dr Bropleh said the relationship between AML and Liberia has been a story of ties that bond.
“The Grand Bassa College with its metamorphosis now to the Grand Bassa University could have never become a reality without the intentional involvement and commitment of ArcelorMittal”, Dr. Bropleh said, adding, “It is because of Mr. Mittal and the kinds of things eventually that the first gift given to the Liberian government for Grand Bassa County was the seed money that started the Grand Bassa University”.
He told AML current CEO Jozephus Coenen that he and his institution have given Liberians and Grand Bassa County a tie that bonds.
“We were gifted, and we say thank you,” he said, adding, “In Liberia, we say when you gave birth to the child, you can never divorce that child. You gave birth to this child and you have never left this child by herself”.
The former Information Minister also praised AML’s overall contribution to the social and economic development of Liberia saying “the kinds of things that ArcelorMittal does in Liberia are outstanding”.
Dr. Bropleh also recounted how ArcelorMittal’s founder and owner came to Liberia during the Sirleaf Administration and committed to build the Ganta Yekepa Highway in Nimba.
“At the time when I was the Minister of Information, together we sat in the cabinet room with then President Sirleaf.”
“At the end of our conversation, he said Madam you have mentioned everything else, is there anything else you want me to do?
Dr. Bropleh disclosed that this was when former President Sirleaf said, “pave the road from Yekapa to Ganta”.
“Today that road with the continuous involvement of our current president George Manneh Weah, that road is a near reality”.
“Again, we want to say thank you for your development initiatives”.
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