Representatives of Nimba affected communities have rebuffed Sen. Nyan Twayen for what they described as unlucky feedback he made lately relating to the Arcelor Mittal Liberia Mineral Growth Settlement (MDA).
By: Emmanuel Clever Jipoh
Capitol Hill, June 11, 2025: Talking at a information convention on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at Capitol Hill, the affected communities, by its Spokesperson, Prince Kehwalain, distanced the affected communities from Sen. Twayen’s outburst towards Arcelor Mittal Liberia.
In accordance with Kehwalain, ArcellorMittal Liberia is on observe with the MDA signed between the corporate and the federal government of Liberia, opposite to what Sen. Twayen had mentioned.
AML has come below fireplace lately after Sen. Twayen railed towards it for dangerous labor practices, and breaching each a part of the MDA owed to the individuals of Nimba County.
The Nimba County Senator additionally accused the metal big of exploitation by questionable monetary practices and failing to satisfy its obligations to the individuals of Nimba, after over twenty years of operations right here, whereas reaping billions in wealth.
His outburst towards AML, which had simply unveiled a US1.8 billion concentrator right here, was adopted by a petition from the Nimba College College students Affiliation (CONUSA) to the Liberian Legislature on Tuesday requesting that members of the Legislature take pressing motion in revisiting AML MDA.
The Nimba college students warned that continued neglect threatens environmental devastation, financial marginalization, amidst company exploitation.
However addressing the Press convention on Tuesday, members of the Nimba affected communities slammed their Senator, accusing him of self-interest, whereas attempting to wreck their reputations with AML.
In accordance with the affected communities, they’re vastly benefiting from the MDA, arguing that the corporate is in keeping with its obligations.
“What ArcelorMittal is doing in Nimba is a plus, and we can not sit right here and permit Sen. Twayen to tarnish the picture of the Folks of Nimba, (for individuals) to have a look at us ugly as betrayers”, Armstrong Gobac Selekpoh, a member of one of many affected communities, mentioned.
In accordance with members of the Nimba affected communities, a overview of AML MDA from the federal government exhibits that, largely, AML is following all its materials MDA commitments and obligations between 2006 and April 2024.
They asserted that AML had gone past its MDA commitments and obligations and has invested USD 47 million in socioeconomic progress and growth of communities in its operational areas and elsewhere in Liberia.
Mr. Kehwalain pointed to the railroad rehabilitation (243 km accomplished). Port rehabilitation (Buchanan port operational) • Reporting & Documentation (storage of data) • Employment quotas (met or exceeded all MDA targets) Secondment of Authorities employees. Vocational Coaching Middle (rehabilitated and expanded) Superior Scholarships Program (99 awarded, 46% graduated) Entry to education for dependents (1,080 college students enrolled) • Taxes and royalties (over $424 million paid) • Safety (regarding human rights and VPSHR requirements) Group well being infrastructure investments (e.g., clinics, hospitals).
“Sen. Nyan doesn’t care in regards to the practically 10,000 jobs created by AML, however he’s bent on pushing the corporate out of Liberia by his shameful feedback.
“We distance ourselves from Senator Nyan, and we’re not going to assist any politician to sit down in Monrovia and incite us wrongly, “Kehwalain lamented.
He has performed nothing for us since he took over. he has not been capable of report back to the individuals of Nimba, and never even to establish with communities, the affected communities mentioned.
In the meantime, this isn’t the primary time that ArcellorMittal Liberia has come below enormous criticisms of breaching the MDA in Nimba County by a sitting lawmaker.
In 2022, former Nimba County electoral District#7 Consultant Roger Domah slammed the metal big for failing to satisfy its commitments.
