By Joseph O. Sayon
Local communities around the Salala Rubber Cooperation (SRC) and workers of the Company have rejected sexual abuse and Land grabbing allegations made against the Company by Green Advocates.
The Right Group, Green Advocates, recent reports indicate that land garbing and sexual abuse have been rampaged at SRC and the Liberia Agriculture Company.
But, the Paramount Chief of Gibi District Gou Carter along with inhabitants of local communities around the SRC noted that the reports by Green Advocates do not reflect the true picture of the Company operations.
Some female Employees of SRC argued that the sexual abuse allegation made by Green Advocates involving women at SRC is only intended to portray them negatively in both the national and international cycles.
They are calling on Green Advocates to counter cheek their facts about happenings at the Company before going public.
They said at no time in all the years that he has worked for the company, was it reported from anywhere within the company that female employees, and those seeking employment were being sexually harassed.
Green Advocates inciting locals
Speaking further, the citizens said that the sexual harassment alleged by Green Advocates International, and other NGOs, is new, but however it is not surprising at all, consideration that Green Advocates International over the years has continued to print lies and misinformation, and incite local residents within and around SRC Plantation against the company.
Green Advocates founder Alfred Brownell, who is a winner of 2019 Goldman environmental prize was similarly accused in Sinoe County for inciting citizens against Golden Veroleum Liberia in 2015.
Since 2010, Green Advocates International, and the company have been at odds, with the former (GAI) accusing the company of land grabbing, water pollution, among others, with this strange new twist in 2019, about alleged sexual harassment and exploitation of women employees, and those seeking employment, which he termed as baseless, unfounded and has no iota of truth in it.
For his part, Emmanuel Saye who is the Staff Association President, which is an association of senior SRC employees, said it was a very dangerous precedent for a proclaimed advocacy group and its auxiliaries to make such a grave allegation against the company, that it is engaged in the sexual harassment of female employees, and those seeking jobs. He said Green Advocates is an NGO, and the only way they secure funding from donors, is to report lies and spread misinformation against anyone or entity they are working against.
He is quoted as saying, “our livelihood is tied to the company, and if Green Advocates International feels that is the only way to solicit funding from their donor partners is to write such report against their own brothers and sister and country then is quite unfortunate”.
Green Advocates misleading the public?
Another employee, Fatu Morris speaking through an interpreter said since 2007 she started working with the Company, and she has not experienced, or heard of any sexual harassment of women employees, and those seeking employment, and that the GAI allegation against SRC Management is a big lie intended to spoil the Company’s good name.
“Since 2007 June 1st I started working here, no man has said to me let’s go in the bush to have something to do before I give you job” she indicated.
Madam Morris said she was promoted by the Company without being sexually harassed by any man. She warned those (Green Advocate) that are carrying rumors around and disgracing them as women in the name of collecting money to stop.
Helena Flomo another employee said since she joined the SRC family, no one has asked her for sex in relation to her job, neither has there been any report of women being exploited sexually. She called on those in the act of disgracing them SRC (female employees) to desist for doing so any further.
“I work here with SRC, before women started slashing. I was the first woman that they called to organize people to slash. I was Head lady when I was slashing, and from there I became cup cleaner head, and right now, I am the slashing Head lady.
During the entire period that i have worked with SRC, I have not experienced or heard of women being sexually harassed or exploited on the job, neither have I heard from any other women that a man told her to give him sex for job.
It had not happened to me, and I don’t know about it so if the people going around lying saying that is what women are saying they are disgracing us now, but their own disgrace will come later, and it will be worse than our own” She concluded by saying that there is no sexual exploitation at SRC.
A student reading statement against Green Advocates [photo: R. Baysah]
Another lady identified as Kaymah explained that since 2008 she started work with the Company serving as cup cleaner, rubbing medicine on rubber trees, worked with the SRC School System, later went to ‘budding class’ and now she is working with the Security department no man has proposed love to her before offering her any of the foregoing positions she mentioned herein.
According to Madam Kaymah, her Bosses always give her job based on her effort, physical strength, and that it is not their bodies as women, that give them money. She said women are employees, they work for their money, and that people just lie to bring a lot of disgrace to women employed with SRC.
For his part, the Chairman of the Community leaders, William Julye said that the Green Advocate has long been manipulating their minds with lots of falsehood.
He revealed years back the Green Advocates put them under the impression that the company owed them over ten million United States Dollars, and that they must join them in their quest to claim the said amount from the company.
False and misleading
“They made us to buy tickets from them for ($500.00) five hundred Liberian dollars so as to enable them fight the case against the company and we still got all of the tickets in my possession till today” he said.
“They also trucked people from neighboring Bong County a nearby a village, who have nothing to do with issues affecting people living within, and around SRC concession just in order to make their numbers swell against the company”, he also stated.
Rev. Henry K. George, secretary of the community cluster said he has not heard anything related to sexual exploitation or sex for jobs.
“I have not heard anything like sexual and exploitation, and I work here as a Superintendent in the past, I established the nursery where the people are working today as a warehouse; the rubber in Camp 5 and that of Camp 3 we planted all the rubber around here I have not heard about sexual exploitation or sex for jobs.
” He repeatedly said. Additionally, the SRC former employee lamented that the allegation from the group is false and misleading terming them as people who want to criminally generate money, and to exploit the Company by inciting locals residents against its operation, spreading lies, so that they are eventually call to discuss.
“If I want money from you it is better I ask you please help me, but it is not to go under falsehood to exploit money from people and that is not correct” he added.
He also clarified that no land was taken away from any citizen by the Company stating that the Company signed a lease agreement with the Government of Liberia in 1960 before opening a rubber plantation.
Rev. George further narrated that owners of crops were settled/paid by the Company and photos were taken. He concluded by saying from manager to janitor, no man on the plantation has asked anyone for sex before getting jobs, noting, ‘no sex for job; no sexual harassment/exploitation here’.
Meanwhile, an 11th grade student of the SRC School System H. Dolopei, Jr. reading a position statement said they were shocked to hear that the Company which is providing life necessities for Liberians are accused of dehumanization of people on the plantation.
“We want to write it very clear that the statement is false, diabolical, satanic, misleading and intended to destroy the good image of SRC” he stated.
Dolopei said SRC has over the years continued to provide jobs for their parents, sound education, good health and very conducive condition for not only its employees but for all that live within the plantation and its environs.
He said there is no sexual exploitation, child labor or any kind of dehumanization of people on the plantation as alleged by the “So-called Green Advocates International”.
Student Dolopei, “we, therefore, denounce the satanic statement from Green Advocates International against SRC and warn them to stop spreading misleading information about our Company that is doing so much for us. If you can’t help us don’t hurt us before you get the worse punishment from God almighty”.
At the same time the paramount Chief of Gibi District and Chairman of the Traditional Council of Margibi County, Peter Banyou has cautioned the Green Advocates International to refrain from making any such statement against his citizens and the company.
Paramount Banyou said his people especially women are not the kind of people who engage in unwholesomeness and that Green Advocates International must stop making such false statement against women employed by SRC, those seeking employment and simply desist form tarnishing the image of women employed by the Company.
“If you want to beg somebody for money, that’s not the way there by lying and making others to look ugly all because you want to get rich”, he added.
“All of the women working with SRC have husbands, most of whom work with the Company; will these men sell their women to SRC for jobs”? Certainly, not, he adds.
