By: kklogictech
4 Min. Reading Time
Senator Nya D. Twayen of Nimba County has issued a strongly worded statement criticizing ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) for persistent and egregious violations of the amended 2007 Mineral Development Agreement (MDA). As the agreement nears expiration in 2030, the senator made clear that unless AML meets a series of urgent demands from the people of Nimba, he will oppose any efforts to renew the agreement.
Senator Twayen emphasized that for nearly two decades, the people living in the areas directly impacted by AML’s operations, particularly around Yekepa have experienced minimal benefit from the company’s presence. He denounced AML for failing to fulfill its promise to improve the socioeconomic conditions of affected communities. Despite AML’s public declarations of a $1.4 billion infrastructure expansion, residents of Yekepa continue to endure inadequate housing and basic services.
Housing in Yekepa remains in a state of severe disrepair. The senator noted that the once-thriving town has been reduced to ruins while the company extracts billions of dollars in ore. He characterized this neglect as a betrayal of the community’s expectations and a violation of the company’s social corporate responsibilities.
In terms of local employment and leadership, Senator Twayen accused AML of blatant disregard for Article 10 of the MDA amendment, which mandated increasing the participation of Liberians in senior management positions. By 2017, 50 percent of such positions were supposed to be held by Liberians.
However, as of today, only 42 percent of these roles are filled by Liberians, with all three top executive positions—CEO, COO, and CFO—still occupied by foreigners. The senator named these executives as Michiel Vandermerwe of South Africa, Anthony P. Kocken of Australia, and Conor O’Brien of the United Kingdom, and emphasized that AML’s failure to appoint a Liberian to one of these roles is a violation of contract and national dignity.
Click to read more https://verityonlinenews.com/senator-twayen-vows-no-support-for-aml-renewal-exposes-multiple-violations-in-mda/
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