IPNews-Monrovia: An underground secret forestry logging detail involving President George Mananeh Weah and top government officials has been exposed.

According to a report by Joseph Darlington Kennedy, team leader, Independent Forest Monitors of the NGO Coalition of Liberia, a Civil Society Organization working Natural Resources management, says the operation of the African Wood and Lumbers Company, a logging company allegedly belonging to both President George Manneh Weah and Representative George Borley, of Grand Gedeh County, depriving indigenous rights to benefits for land acquired for logging purposes in the southeastern parts of Liberia.

Kennedy told IPNews that villagers within the logging areas have been seeking just benefit which African Wood continued to remain non-cooperative, non-compliant to in violations of the forestry laws.

“The action by President Weah to refused the provision of much needed basic social services as provided for by law is not only unfair but act of human rights violation ..”

“We feel that percentage of revenue should go to forest dependent communities, which being the local indigenous population in the area, but unfortunately Mr. President George Weah and his conspirators have refused to respect this important aspect of conservation for the last two years. This is totally unfair that all of the money keeps going to political and influential people who still controlled the money.”

“The contract between the forest governance structure representing the indigenous people in the area and the company called for the construction of feeder roads for the community, a school and health clinic. None of those commitments had been fulfilled yet the company continued to do large scale logging in the area. Administrative and land rental fees were not being paid. These were the most significant violations of the agreement and the laws.” Joseph D. Kennedy, team lead, Civil Society Organization working Natural Resources management maintained.

Kennedy told IPNews that he and his Independent Forest Monitors of the NGO Coalition of Liberia, will remain unwavering and unbending in the quest of ensuring indigenous people have a fair share to their ancestry lands.

He narrated of series of attempts by the government of Liberia to blacklist and charge him and members of the Independent Forest Monitors of the NGO Coalition of Liberia, for Economic sabotage, for his continued stands advocacy for granting indigenous people benefit for used of their forest against will.

“On the morning of March 15, 2019, a National holiday in Liberia, I was called to attend a meeting at the house of C. Mike Doryen, the Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), that same day in the afternoon. When I attended, I was told by the Managing Director that I had been invited to meet with President George Weah at the President’s private resort. I went to the President’s resort with the FDA Managing Director, the Deputy Managing Director and the Technical Manager. At the resort we met with President George Weah, Representative George Borley, and Nathaniel F. McGill who is the Minister for States and Presidential Affairs. At the meeting they referred to the report of April 16, 2018.”

“They claimed that our report has caused public backlash, warning me of further publications. In the presence of President George Weah, I was accused and labeled as an agent/spy of Global Witness, an international NGO based in the United Kingdom that investigates corruption cases in countries and around the world.”

“ I was further accused by President Weah of sabotaging the economy of Liberia, and ordered me to stopped immediately.”

“Look, I will not be intimidated because the law required that indigenous people have percentage to the resources of the land.” Joseph Kennedy explained to IPNews.

In recent times, Palm oil companies are grabbing more than 1.5 million acres of land in Liberia and are violating the human rights of local communities.
Conservationist and Environmentalist have all demanded that the government renegotiate contracts for land concessions and reassess its agricultural development strategy.

Malaysian palm oil giant Sime Darby and Indonesian Golden Veloreum have entered into long-term land leases with the Liberian government. Investigations into Sime Darby’s operations reveal that communities located in the areas allocated to the company had little warning or consultation before the company moved in. Many of the inhabitants, especially women, say they have lost their farms and food sources, livelihoods, as well as culturally sacred sites to oil palm plantations.