A political storm has engulfed the Legislature following revelations that a Senate delegation toured ArcelorMittal Liberia's (AML) conce...
A political storm has engulfed the Legislature following revelations that a Senate delegation toured ArcelorMittal Liberia's (AML) concession in Nimba County without the knowledge or participation of any Nimba lawmaker, including Senator Nya Twayen, who sits on the Senate Committee on Concessions and Investment. The visit has sparked accusations of secrecy, rebuttals from the senators involved, and renewed scrutiny of AML's record in Liberia's mining heartland.
On September 19, Senator Twayen took to Facebook to accuse AML of gross violations of its Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) and lawmakers of allowing themselves to be wined and dined on a "luxury tour."
"Taking some Senators and Representatives for luxury tour of AML concession area does not negate the fact that you are in gross violation of the Mineral Development Agreement," Twayen wrote. "Until the people of Nimba and Liberia benefit as per the terms and conditions laid out in the agreement, you are doomed to be sued or doomed for nonrenewal."
He also alleged that AML had misrepresented its investments, citing testimony that a plant once valued at US$1.4 billion was in fact worth only US$250 million.
Most strikingly, Twayen said he was blindsided by the lawmakers' presence in Nimba. "Unbeknownst to me as member of the Concession Committee and the Nimba Legislative Caucus, ArcelorMittal has more than 25 lawmakers (Sen/Rep) visiting Nimba County for a secret meeting as of this post," he declared.
Senate committee response
The following day, September 20, the "Joint Legislative Committee on MDA Compliance" issued a lengthy press statement from Ganta, rejecting Twayen's claims.
"There is nothing clandestine about legislators going to see, first-hand, the conditions of a major concession that is critical to our nation's economy and people," the Committee said.
Signed by Senator Numene T. H. Bartekwa of Grand Kru, chair of the Senate Committee on Concessions and Investment, and Senator Simeon Taylor of Grand Cape Mount, the release accused Twayen of a "reckless campaign of misinformation."
The delegation -- which included Senators Saah Joseph of Montserrado, Joseph Jallah of Lofa, Botoe Kanneh of Gbarpolu, Simeon Taylor of Grand Cape Mount, Numene Bartekwa of Grand Kru, and Thomas Yaya Nimely of Grand Gedeh -- insisted that their mission was a fact-finding oversight visit. They acknowledged AML's lapses but emphasized "constructive engagement" rather than "acrimonious hostility."
"Sidelining Nimba unacceptable"
Twayen fired back, insisting that the so-called "Joint Legislative Committee on MDA Compliance" had no legal standing. "There are only two Legislative Joint Committees: Public Accounts and Modernization (which I chair)," he said. He called on Senate Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence and House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon to investigate the "surreptitious trip."
Adding to his claims, he alleged that AML had failed to attend a scheduled meeting with the Inter-Ministerial Concessions Committee, opting instead to host senators in Nimba. "Gone are the days of corporate mischiefs at the expense of our people," he vowed.
Representative Nyan G. Flomo, Secretary-General of the Nimba Legislative Caucus, condemned what he described as the deliberate exclusion of Nimba lawmakers.
"As a member of the Caucus, I'm deeply troubled that a process toward renewing the Mineral Development Agreement of ArcelorMittal Liberia would appear to deliberately exclude members of the caucus of the most affected county from meaningful participation," he said.
Flomo reiterated the caucus's core principle: "There must be no discussion of renewing or expanding ArcelorMittal Liberia's concession agreement until the company has demonstrated and fully complied with all outstanding obligations under the current MDA."
He also called for "an immediate, transparent, and independent audit" of AML's compliance, arguing that lawmakers should not "expose themselves to manipulation."
Sen. Saah Joseph concedes
On local radio in Ganta, Senator Saah Joseph admitted that it had been a mistake not to include Twayen and the Nimba Caucus in the visit. He denied holding a closed-door meeting with AML but confirmed that the company presented PowerPoint slides on achievements and gave a tour of facilities including a vocational school and housing projects.
But a first-hand tour of Yekepa by our reporter paints a different picture. Much of the once-bustling mining town remains in ruins. Estates in areas T, S, F, O, N, and parts of Rare still dilapidated. Makeshift structures dot the town, safe drinking water is limited to workers receiving sacks of sachet water, and Yekepa's streets remain unpaved and without lighting.
Unlike during the LAMCO era, there is no functional mini-power plant or modern water system. Workers complain of poor medical care, with minor cases often referred to county hospitals. Housing shortages force some staff into hotels in Ganta, while many others commute from Sanniquellie.
Shadows of the past
Community suspicions deepened when some recalled how, in 2006, lawmakers allegedly received 100 pickups in connection with concession negotiations. "The visit last week of the lawmakers is said to have created a dark cloud over the revision of the MDA," one resident told the Observer, "with many speculating that AML may have bought the lawmakers."
Senator Saah Joseph himself has been linked to contracts with AML, including fleets of buses and trucks reportedly hired by the company to transport workers and other haulage functions. The Senator's business relationship with the company presents a clear conflict of interest in light of the upcoming negotiation of the third amendment of the AML's mineral development agreement with the Government of Liberia.
The lingering question
Yet, the core issue remains unanswered: if this was an official oversight mission, why were no Nimba lawmakers -- representatives of the host county most directly impacted by AML's operations -- invited or officially informed?
This omission has fueled doubts not only about the sincerity of AML's engagement but also about the Legislature's transparency. For communities long burdened by the social and environmental costs of iron ore mining, the optics of senators touring new housing sites while Yekepa still lies in ruins has only deepened mistrust.
ArcelorMittal has been in Liberia since 2005 and renegotiated its concession in 2007. Yet its record remains contested -- from unmet social development commitments to disputes over rail access. President Joseph Boakai's administration, under Executive Order 136, is pushing for a multiuser rail regime. AML has resisted, drawing criticism for blocking Environmental and Social Impact Assessment teams from accessing the corridor.
For Senator Twayen, Rep. Flomo, and many in Nimba, this is about much more than corporate compliance. This is about whether Liberia's largest postwar investment can finally deliver on its promise of development.
For the Senate delegation, the mission was an act of oversight, not secrecy. But the exclusion of the host county lawmakers has left a shadow hanging over their visit -- and raised sharper questions about who really benefits when Liberia's lawmakers and concessionaires sit at the table.
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