MNG Machine Smashes Employee

-Allegedly Disables Him For Life

MONVROVIA –MNG Liberia, owned by Turkish Billionaire, Mehmet Nazif Günal (whose initials of his full name made up of the name of the company) operations is affecting several Liberians, especially in its controlled areas. Ranging from environmental pollution to direct injury to employees.

Over the past time, a number of contractors and employees have been allegedly affected by machines of the company.

The most recent is with a young Liberian contractor, Bob Gooding.  He was active when he gained employment, but now, disabled, unable to even carry a bucket of water, let alone push a wheel barrow with a cement bag.

He got allegedly wounded in July 2017 in its Kokoya operation. The Kokoya Gold Mine is located northeast of Monrovia. Operations commenced in 2016 with a capacity of 650,000 tonnes per year. The average output is expected to remain at ninety-five percent.

Gooding is 36 years old with seven children, the oldest child Cynthia is deeply disturbed because her father will not be able to take care of them anymore.

“My father is down.  He is the only person we depend on. Now, my other brother and sisters are not of school and even to get food here is a problem for us,” his oldest daughter at 16 years old told this reporter.

“I was working on the machine on the site when the front end loader (caterpillar with front head ) operator hit me on my back. I could not go forward. If I had gone in front, I would have fallen into a big hole and died at once,” Bob Gooding said as he stood up. “This took place in July 2017. Since then, they are not saying anything,” he added.

Due to that, he was rushed to Phebe Hospital by the company, but after staying over for few days, he was allegedly abandoned. This led to one of his brothers to take him to Tappita hospital for advance treatment.

“We went to Tappita Hospital and my family did all the medical settlement. After going through it all, I was told that my entire back, lower and upper bones are disable. I cannot do any hard work in my life. I am crippled for life,” he said.

Gooding said he was asked to take the hospital bill for settlement by the company.  “I took it to them, but they have not done anything about it. Also, they are not saying anything about my life condition. I got wounded on job site, they refused to settle me.  This is serious. My wife and children depend on me for survival. At the moment, my children are not in school,” he said.

The company allegedly admitted to the incident. The Human Resource manager, madam Vivian Samuels told a relative to Gooding “we know about it. But now, we are travelling to the main yard in Gbarnga. Call me later so we can discuss it,” she was quoted as saying to Gooding’s relative.

However, another senior source at MNG who declined to be name said, “not that the company does not want to pay his hospital bill, but the amount he brought to the company is huge and made us to stop. But we will like to for him to come so we can discuss this. There are other people here with similar situations that the company is looking at.”  When the relative called Vivian, she did not answer.

MNG Gold Liberia, Inc. is a mining company that is currently operating in Kokoya district. It is a member of the MNG Group of Companies in Turkey which is an established company with vast investments in various countries.

MNG Ventures is a US-registered venture capital and private investment firm. According to its website, its primary function is exploring potential investment opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.