IPNEWS-Monrovia: The Green Revolution of Liberia, a civil organization in collaboration with Conscious Cape Moutainians against exploitation and bad governance in Grand Cape Mount has called the attention of the Government of Liberia and the international community over bad mining exploitation by Bea Mountain Company.
The two CSOs state that BeaMountain mining exploitation has practically left nothing to the affected community, and they therefore amalgamating forces to shut down the company’s operation in their county few weeks from now.
Green Revolution of Liberia says in a vivid investigation done by them few days ago with citizens of Grand Cape Mount County, showed the bad concession practices and the eminent danger BeaMountain Company is costing the people of the County.
“Our people in Grand cape Mount County are living over death trap as Bea Mountain/ AVESORO RESOURCE continues to undermine our entire County and dig deeper in the earth beneath our people,” Manja Varney Gbassey Kromah, National Chairman of the Green Revolution of Liberia alarmed.
“Here are facts the world needs to know about Bea Mountain /Avesoro”
BeaMountain Company has exploited over sixty Billions United States dollars’ worth of Gold from the county but not a single hospital they has built, not even an ABC school they have constructed.
- There is no record of Bea Mountain or AVESORO on the international mineral market. They are not a listed company anywhere in the world. Therefore, they are not monitored by international mining regulatory body that ensures mining is done in a more sustainable way to minimize potential threat to the environment.
2. They were giving a Class “A” surface mining license and concluded a Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) with (GoL) to develop and operate a surface mine but, they are now doing underground mining without decommissioning the initial surface mining and submission of full Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA) to establish the extent to which their mining have negatively damaged the environment and their mitigation plan. They have started doing underground mining without commissioning the underground mine in line with international best practice. It will interest you to know that our brothers who worked underground are paid little or nothing as they avail themselves to emissions from radioactive minerals. This could yield to mass fatality in the county or the country if nothing is done to close this underground mines. GoL, Ministry of Mines & Energy, Environmental Protection Agency must act now to avoid Mass fatalities in the feature.
3. There are over 1000 Turkish Nationals in various lucrative jobs on the mine in total violation of the labor laws of Liberia and by extension the Mineral Development Agreement in which Ministry of Mines & Energy, Justice Ministry, Finance Ministry and the National investment commission are signatory to. But, due to bribery of corrupt officials from said Ministry they see nothing wrong with that. In this public manner, I want to challenge the Minister of Labor to show me or present to the public a publication of a local daily paper that shows advertising of jobs from Bea Mountain/ Avesoro Resource in the past years and now.
4. Bea Mountain or AVESORO is now building a steel plant using their same class ‘A’ mining license.
5. The mineral resources as per law, is owned by us the people, but our government who supposed to be acting in our behalf is acting against us as people.
All these positions are currently occupied by foreign nationals
* General Manager
* Operation manager
* Corporates manager
* The Finance Manager
* The IT Manager
* The Environmental Manger
* The Workshop Manager
* The Camp Manager
* Administrative Manager
* So many others
The mines (Bea Mountain/ Avesoro) must activate their succession plan. It’s time for Liberians to participate in their economy. Your early morning staff meetings should not only be occupied by incompetent Turkish nationals whom you refer to as experts but depend on the local (Liberians) to teach them the job.
6. No school for the affected community as per the agreement.
7. No hospital for the affected community as per the agreement.
8. There is no safety bank in the mining area as vehicle drivers operate at their own detriment.
Section 16.1 of the consensus agreement between the the government of Liberia who supposed to be acting on our behalf and that of beamountain/Avosery states and i quote, the parties recognize that the mining operation may result in some pollution, contamination or other environmental damage to land, water and the atmosphere within the contract area and elsewhere.
Accordingly, the operator shall submit to the ministry before the commencement of exploration and production, an Environmental impact statement (EIS) Now here is our case, the water from the mine which is been used in washing the mineral has escape in our strame and nearby Rivera and has greatly contaminated these water ways thereby cousing our people to suffer from many deceases like running stomach, reaches, seviour stomach pin leading to death and so for.
There is no record of the company ever submitting or sharing with the affected communities environmental policies been out into place by these companies in our county
We challenge the Ministry of Mines and Energy through the office of its Deputy Minister for Operation Emmanuel O. Sherman to produce the underground mining production map indicating the mineralize zone that operator intend to operate in. The public should be aware that of recent, Minister Sherman and Senate Pro-Temp Albert Chie, have consistently visited the mines at the detriment of our people.
The few Liberians on contract with the company are been treated like slave’s, no guarantee and secure jobs been offered Liberians when there are over 800 Turkish Nationals permanently employed with the company. What wrong with our country?
On the 19th of October 2021, Motorcyclists mostly youths of Lofa Bridge, Gola Konneh District, set up Road Blocks denied the BeaMountain company from plying the main Street of Gola Konneh’s Commercial Hub (Lofa Bridge) thereby impeding the movement of their Earth moving equipment’s because the company has failed to rehabilitate the Yammaseh Bridge the company had earlier used in crossing their equipment over to the Ngblama Mines. There heavy duty equipment’s such as Euclids and other machinery damaged the bridge.
Today, the Yammaseh Bridge is completely damaged so BeaMountain is now finding an alternative route instead of repairing the bridge.
We are calling on our lawmakers to take seize of this matter or we the people will take the law into our hands.
As off today, we will start mobilizing our people for a peaceful protest in front of their Monrovia office and in subsequent time, a force closure of their operation in our county be organized”
