Patrick N. Mensah, Maryland County
Traditional leaders, including youths, women, men, and elders have besieged the operational site of a concession company in Pleebo, Maryland County Electoral district#2 for three (3) days, in demand of a copy of the concession agreement otherwise known as Golden SIFCA Agreement, including employment opportunities other benefits.
However, after several interventions by local authorities in the county, the traditional leaders agreed with conditions, to allow the company to resume normal operations.
Golden-SIFCA group of company is a joint venture between two agriculture companies: Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL) and MOPP-SIFCA with a focus on planting and harvesting palm plantations in southeastern Liberia, affecting Maryland, Sinoe, and Grand Kru counties.
Both companies reached an agreement in a joint meeting with Speaker Bhofal Chambers and members of the Maryland County Legislative Caucus under the chairmanship of Rep. Isaac B. Roland at the Capitol Building in Monrovia to have constructed a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art palm processing mill in Pleebo-Sodoken District, Maryland County.
Speaking during the joint meeting in the Office of Speaker Chambers, GVL executives disclosed that construction works for the mill have reached the optimal level and the collaborating companies, GVL and MOPP-SIFCA would have commissioned the plant for full operations by 15th June 2021.
Mr. Ferdy Surya Handojo and Mr. Elvis G. Morris were two executives who spoke on behalf of GVL and made the disclosure.
According to them, when commissioned, the plant will be called Golden-SIFCA Palm Mill with a capacity to extract tons of palm oil from palm fruits, along with other usable products.
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They detailed that the mill operations will bring employment opportunities to more than 120 Liberians initially, mostly from local communities in the proximity of the mill to work with some foreign technocrats.
The mill will also contain what the GVL officials referred to as 40/80 TPH capacity to process palm fruits for both GVL and MOPP-SIFCA under an agreed management framework between the two companies.
It will add value to palm products that may be subsequently exported, thus positively impacting Liberia’s foreign earnings to boost economic viability.
But traditional leaders, women, and youth groups in the county complain that despite these promises, the companies are yet to fulfill any of them.
They note that the concession agreement of MOPP indicated it would have constructed an oil palm mill by itself, but it was regretting that it now joined GVL to construct said mill without informing them, particularly elders of the area.
According to them, the operation of the mill started in the district, it has polluted several creeks, making it difficult for them to have access to safe drinking water and the company is yet to construct hand pumps in all affected communities surrounding the Mill to avoid future embarrassment.
The angry traditional leaders disclosed that since the agreement was reached through the County Legislative Caucus and the company, they are yet to receive a copy of the concession agreement to know what benefits it has for affected communities.
They allege that while they are also seeking a copy of the agreement and employment opportunities, the human resources manager (HR) of Golden SIFCA is taking money from their brothers and sisters before providing them employment.
According to them, the HR manager has been allegedly intimidating their wives and sisters that, if they refused to love him, their contracts with the company will not be renewed.
“He has dismissed some of our brothers and sisters who refused to pay money and also love to him. He collects goats and money from some of our brothers without giving them a job”, they allege.
Meanwhile, when this paper contacted the HR manager for GVL, he said the matter is being investigated by the company so he wouldn’t speak to it. Editing by Jonathan Browne
