‘Exercise Restraint’

-Bomi Citizens Appeal To Lawmakers Regarding Sime Darby

By Jackson C. Clay, Jr.

Two prominence sons of Bomi County are calling on the House of Representatives to exercise restraint with Sime Darby Plantation over the recent torture video involving a citizen of the Bomi by security officers of the company.

Charles Brown and Edward Kaidii told a local radio station Thursday that the company has in the past been living up to its terms and conditions spelled out in the concession agreement between the Government of Liberia and the company.

In separate comments when they appeared on Okay Moring Rush, a talk show aired on Okay 99.5FM, Brown said since the incident the company’s operation has been slowed down, something he said is causing serious problem for the citizens.

“We have come to appeal to our lawmakers and the Liberian government to exercise restraint in their activities within the company over the recent torture video,” Brown said in a humble tone.

He indicated that though the company was in the wrong to have allegedly carried out such act on a Liberian citizen, but all of the good deeds of the company cannot be overlooked due to this one bad deed done by a dismissed employee of the company, noting that the company has taken immediate step against the doers of the act.

Brown asserted that the people are dying from starvation in the county due to the slowdown in operations of the company as a result of the recent incident which has led workers of the plantation to abandon their job at the planation.

He stated that the company has embarked on the renovation of some major facilities within its concession areas like the housing units, hand pumps and toilets facilities among others for the residents of the area.

“Just the involvement of the legislature recently to probe the company, Sime Darby has embarked on major renovation of all of its facilities, like the clinic, schools, safe drinking water and hand pumps,” he noted.

“Politicians are coming between us, citizens and the company and they have to take time and treat the company with respect. Just the seven days strike action by employees of the planation, the planation is deplorable, even food the people cannot get food to eat and politicians cannot carry food to them, they only take food to them during elections’ time,’’ he stressed.

He blamed some of the problems on the part of central government for not living up its portion of the concession agreement and the failure by government to regularly check on concession companies in the country.

For his part, Edward Kaidii has indicated that they as citizens of the county, particularly areas where Sime Darby operates, they are unhappy with manner and form things are going and appealed to the lawmakers to handle the company with care and respect.