Monrovia-Today, ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) launched the Firestone Division Community Development Road Project in Kpelleh Town Community, Kakata City, Margibi County.
Monrovia– Today, ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) launched the Firestone Division Community Development Road Project in Kpelleh Town Community, Kakata City, Margibi County. The Road is 28km from Kakata, Kpelleh town community to the Firestone Staff Club and has not been reconditioned for many years. The request for the rehabilitation was made by the community through Margibi County representative Hellen Wureh AML and Community members held an official kick-start meeting on site by Tuesday, to align the project objective and implementation plan with all stakeholders involved. A Liberian company named Frebenja Group of Companies was selected to implement the project and will start mobilizing on-site this weekend for a possible start by next Tuesday. Marcus Wleh, ArcelorMittal Liberi head of Sustainability and External Relations said of the 28km stretch of road from Kakata “We value our communities and we go beyond the scope of where we work “ “We do take it upon ourselves to say we are the Ministry of Public Works but we do our best to maintain our community roads” When we got this request from the community within the concession area of Firestone, it took some time but I am happy to announce that this over half a million dollars project ($527,000) road project will start today” Wleh said ArcelorMittal Liberia consulted Firestone Liberia over its decision to rehabilitate the road and was given the go-ahead by the 1926 rubber plantation. Also speaking was Jallah Selmah, ArcelorMittal General Manager of Mines who noted that was “pleased to be with the community” for such an activity which is a key part of Community relations. “Any standard mining operation will never shy away from community engagement” and we always feel good to engage the community not just to say hello but to show something Jallah stressed on the need for complete cooperation and support from the community to ensure “that we have proper traffic management where these machines are working” AML Road Coordinator Benjamine S Momolu said the 28k million starts from the Kakata Police station to Firestone Golf Club as a literate road with drainages, and depressed sections completely repaired and strengthened. He said the effort will ensure that the road is assessable with coverts and better drainage systems for both rainy and dry seasons. The Chief Executive Officer of Frebenja Group of Companies, Fred Kennedy who hails from Margibi County assured a good working conditions with the communities and thanked ArcelorMittal for allowing his company to do the project. Said Kennedy: “we will help to make sure we go by the technical specifications within the contract. And we’re going to show you people that I, plus myself, will be on the road with Italy. Making sure we meet the standard of ArcelorMittal” “We will be making sure we meet the standard of our own people and this road is part of our work. You are welcome, you can come around.” Many residents of Kakata city hailed ArcelorMittal for her decision to rehabilitate the road “We are very happy for ArcelorMittal because this road has been bad for many years with no one to come to our aid so we want to thank the company” For Hawa Peters, a student of Booker Washington Institute, “hopefully the stress of moving up and down on such a bad road is finally coming to an end with the help of ArcelorMittal. “We are very grateful for this. The company could have chosen to take this development to Grand Bassa or Nimba where they are based, but they brought it here for us so they can save us from the bad road” she said. In Margibi the reconstruction of the 28km stretch is seen as a major development given that AML’s concession does not affect the county directly unlike Grand Bassa , Nimba and Bong Counties.
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