Liberian News: Citizens Express Support For ArcelorMittal’s Investment, Ratification

Monrovia– Citizens and communities hosting ArcelorMittal-Liberia’s main operations in Liberia have expressed overwhelming support for ArcelorMittal’s Investment and Ratification of its 3rd Mineral Development Agreement.

In a special statement, the citizens including Chiefs, Elders, women and youths noted that, “As communities and citizens that host ArcelorMittal-Liberia’s main operations in Liberia, we have taken time to examine the contributions of ArcelorMittal-Liberia to the socio-economic development of Liberia in general and our county and communities in particular in the last few year.”

The citizens added, “We have come together to call for the continued presence of ArcelorMittal-Liberia (AML) in our communities and the expansion of ArcelorMittal-Liberia operations through the ratification of the company’s amended Mineral Development Agreement (MDA).”

They added that their decision to make this call is based on the contributions and rapidly growing partnership between the company and our communities been translated into jobs, support for social infrastructure development, support for the health and education sectors, promoting local businesses, contributing to our rising national revenue, etc.

“Many companies have come and gone, but ArcelorMittalLiberia has been and stood with us in good and bad times. They stood with us during Ebola, COVID-19, and other challenging times. ArcelorMittal Liberia has proven to be a reliable partner,” the citizens averred.

According to them, like any human institution and partnership, ArcelorMittal-Liberia has its own challenges which isacknowledged by all of them including the company itself. The citizens added, “For instance, some provisions of the current MDA have not been fully met, however, all financial requirements have been met fully. We will continue to constructively engage with the company, the government, and our local government authorities to address these challenges and ensure mechanisms are effectuated for these provisions of the current MDA and subsequent MDA to be met fully.”

“We will continue to push the company to do what it is supposed to do for our communities. We are happy that the company has recognized these pitfalls and has expressed strong willingness to work with us to address these concerns and take concrete steps to prevent future reoccurrence. We can’t say because the baby bathing water is dirty so we should throw the baby and the entire tub away,” they noted in their statement of support.

The communities and citizens furthered that they are traditional people and do not do politics with things adding, “We will continue to say the truth as it is. It will be unfair on our part as a community and people to ignore some of the good things ArcelorMittal has done for our country, county, and communities over the years. ArcelorMittal is the largest employer in the private sector of Liberia, with over 3,000 Liberians directly working with the company and over 5,000 Liberians working with ArcelorMittal subcontracting companies.”

The citizens said AML’s patronage of local businesses continues to create additional opportunities and contribute to our communities’ economic viability. The company is also the single major contributor to our country’s revenue through taxes, royalties, and other financial obligations. Thus, contributing to the payment of civil and public servant salaries and other socio-economic development drives of our country.

“From what we hearing about the new ArcelorMittal Agreement that the government is working on, and the extension of the company, it will impact our communities, the county, and Liberia positively. We want our communities and our county to benefits from these opportunities. The new MDA will create over 5,000 direct and indirect new jobs, which will reduce unemployment in our host communities and our county. We have urged the company’s leadership that we need to benefit more from their operations, as we cannot be cooking and be hungry. We also hear in the new MDA that the County Social Development Fund will increase; the government of Liberia will collect $200 million every year from the company; and many other things to benefit. We are happy for all of this good news from ArcelorMittal Liberia.”

The citizens noted that the company has been fixing community roads, and we are grateful for the construction of the Ganta to Sanniquellie road which the company has paved. We want them to reach it to Yekepa finally. While we support the ratification of the amended Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) and extension of ArcelorMittal Liberia’s investment, we call on the Government of Liberia to ensure the following concerns or recommendations are fully factor in the negotiation process with ArcelorMittal:

They said social development fund should be increased proportionally to the increase in the tonnage of ore that would be mined during the expansion. “All of the money for community development funds paid by ArcelorMittal should be deposited to a separate account for local development, particularly, in the impacted communities with signatories as follows: Chairman of District development council, county finance officer, Rep of AML,” the citizens stressed.

They called on the Government of Liberiato ensure that other companies make use of the railway as well, but that ArcelorMittal who is operating in Liberia should be given preference.

“AML should operationalize the Gbapa clinic which they helped us to construct, and they should embark on a mobile clinic initiative in all the impacted communities to treat our sick people. AML should establish an agriculture project in all the impacted  communities in Nimba, establish and support entrepreneurship and business skills development in each of the impacted communities in Nimba, AML should be particular about granting more scholarship opportunities to host communities’ students to pursue vocational, technical training, and higher education, in addition to the Yekepa Vocational Training Centre, AML should establish and operate another two Vocational and Technical Training Centres in impacted communities and develop and enforce a robust local content regime with priority given to businesses, NGOs and individuals from host communities and counties,” they citizens demanded.

They also want the government to establish MDA compliance monitoring team that includes representatives from impacted communities. The team will monitor the implementation of the MDA, provide an annual independent report and ensure AML is in full compliance, ensure measures are in place to safeguard against and monitor environmental degradation and pollution, water pollution and blasting impact, revisit and augment the resettlement package, strategy, and payment system, AML should continue to support the Nimba County University Geology Department and extend similar support to the University Vocational Training Program and sponsor students from impacted communities to enroll in the program.

They also want AML to design and implement an employment program to further enhance opportunities for residents in host communities. 50% of unskilled jobs should be given to residents of host communities, and 25% of skilled jobs should be reserved for the citizens of Nimba County. And the whooping 75% of jobs can go to other citizens of our country. This is not an unrealistic request. We are a fair and nationalistic people, provide support to community-driven and -initiated projects and programs, expand and double the enrolment capacity of YekepaVocational Training Centre with host communities directly benefiting enrollment, improve infrastructure development of Yekepa, build new housing units and renovate existing buildings that are not occupied, support volunteer teachers and health workers assigned in host communities by providing monthly allowance and rice, provide three quarterly supports to temporary employment programs and projects through the office of the county superintendent for impacted communities.

The citizens also demanded that with the suspension of USAID operations, AML should immediately commence support for health programs in impacted communities and counties with a focus on sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, infectious disease detection and surveillance.

They want the government to ensure 60% of land user fees go directly to the affected communities and that a portion of taxes and royalties paid by AML go to Nimba County in line with Community Land Rights Act and the local government act, construct water supply systems in all impacted towns and communities, based on facts and advice from EPA, AML and the government must work to safety concerns ( relocation) of Zolowee Town, Bonala, and Bolo, and that AML must recondition all public schools in the affected communities, considering the 22 impacted communities including all towns and villages sin Yarmein, Seh and Zor as well implement a welfare Scheme for Elders 60 years above, and provide administrative support to local government authorities.

The citizens demanded that AML providse support for the layout and pavement of streets in Sanniquellie.

“To the Government of Liberia, please hear us. We are the custodians of the mine which ArcelorMittal Liberia is taking the iron ore from. Listen to us! We are happy for the expansion of ArcelorMittal Liberia’s operations in our communities, and we encourage you our leaders to go ahead and conclude negotiation for the company to expand. Because we want the new jobs, the social development funds, the huge revenue that will be coming. Please pass the new MDA. But you should listen and listen to us clearly. We are the custodians of this land and the mountain. All of the things we have listed here today must be in that new MDA. Please, we do not want any future problems in our communities where our Bush Master has to come out to protest on our behalf; where our youth out of anger and frustration will have to come out. Let’s do what is right now to protect the future and to deepen the relationship with the company. We are supposed be the biggest champions of this company. Relations with the company have improved greatly in the last few years and we want it to remain that way,” they pleaded with the Liberian Government in their statement.

“We understand what the direct and indirect positive impact the ratification of ArcelorMittal Liberia amended Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) and extension of the company’s investment will have on our country, our county, and our communities. This requires a stable, peaceful, and collaborative environment. We are therefore calling on the Government of Liberia to support the extension of ArcelorMittalLiberia’s operations and ensure that the above concerns or issues mentioned are captured in the ratification of the amended Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) and the extension of ArcelorMittal Liberia’s investment,” the citizens said.