— As Gov’t Suspends Road Permit and Possible Termination within 60days If!

 IPNEWS: Last week, President Joseph N. Boakai signal a shift being contemplated by the Government of Liberia for an imminent closure of Western Cluster Mining Company in Liberia, over its reluctance to repair damaged infrastructures, especially Roads and bridges in its concession area homed to thousands of citizens.

President Joseph N. Boakai speaking last Tuesday, April 30, 2024, stated that Western Cluster Mining Company has failed to honor its Mineral Development Agreement and he had personally informed the company through its legal team of an imminent closure.

President Boakai warned that if the government does not close Western Cluster Mining Company down, Liberia will lose major bridges and it might be disastrous for the country.

The Liberian leader said he will not tolerate such insensitivity by Western Cluster Mining Company that part of the country.

“Too many cars ply this road. I personally when up this road the last time, Western Cluster is not mining but just taking our resources, and we get no reward for it. I told their Lawyer this morning and we’re going to close them down. I’m serious about this.”

“We are not going to sit here, and people take our resources and leave. If they want to invest further let them build a railway. They cannot damage our roads and just leave us stringent. I’m serious!” President Boakai directed.

Sources within government cycles tell the authoritative independent Probe that immediately upon President Boakai’s returned to Monrovia, he directed that the company’s road user permit be suspended because it has failed to honor its MDA and has been extracting natural resources, damaging the roads, and leaving no benefits for the people.

Barely a after this pronouncement by the Liberian leader, Liberia’s Public Works Ministry has suspended the road user permit (RUP- 220620-004) issued to Western Cluster Limited (WCL) for “violation of the terms of the permit.”

The Ministry announced the decision Wednesday, 8 May 2024, days after President Joseph Nyumah Boakai ordered the company’s closure for extracting the nation’s resources, damaging the roads, and leaving no benefits for the people.

The Public Works Ministry said the RUP gave Western Cluster the right to commercially haul iron ore on the Freeport of Monrovia-Bomi Hills Road corridor.

In the notice sent to the company through its country representative, the Ministry noted specifically that “WCL persistently violated Section II (d)(e) of the permit.

The Ministry accuses WCL of employing trucks longer than the permitted 34 feet in length and 8.5 feet in weight and carrying an axle load of about 40 tons—far beyond the allowable 30 tons.

The ministry further stated that it observed and documented Western Cluster’s trucking of iron ore throughout the day and night, contrary to the limitation stipulated in the permit.

It explained that the permit restricts the trucking of iron ore only between 7 pm to 6 am.

The Ministry of Public Works further charged Western Cluster for non-compliance with Section III (a) of the permit, which requires the company to erect and install weighbridges at the point of departure and Klay junction, respectively.

The ministry claims the company has failed to uphold this key transparency and accountability measure.

Moreover, the ministry niched Western Cluster to its glaring failure to maintain and repair the referenced road corridor, thereby eroding pliability and posing challenges to other road users.

The works ministry, however, recalls that before the issuance of this notice suspending Western Cluster’s Road user permit, a November 6, 2023 suspension was affected against these very violations.

“What is even more frustrating is that the Ministry of Public Works on November 6, 2023, suspended the permit for similar violations, which suspension was lifted after WCL assured the ministry of curing these violations within the soonest possible time,” the release said.

The Ministry concluded that it had no option but to decide against WCL ‘s lack of good faith in fulfilling its obligations until any/all violations and defaults under this permit are cured.

It cautioned that the company risks terminating its road user permit if Western Cluster fails to cure these stipulated violations within 60 days.