Several women of the affected mines communities of Arcelor Mittal concession area in Nimba County are pleading with the company to initiate projects in their communities to improve their living standards.
The women speaking separately in a one day consultative meeting with a local Nongovernmental Organization, the Committee for Peace and Development Advocacy (COPAD) in Yekepa on Thursday, June 4, 2020 disclosed that some of the communities do not even have a safe drinking water, Town hall, market hall among others.
The women who are from Gbapa, Zolowee, Camp-four Sehyi Geh and Mankinto said, despite their communities falling directly under the company’s operations area, residents still lack several basic social services like hand pumps.
The women some of whom came from communities like Bolo, Liegbala and Bonlah also complained of disturbances and pollution from the blasting of the mines continuously carried out by Arcelor Mittal.
The mine affected communities women indicated that Arcelor Mittal as a world giant steel company should see reasons to come to the aid of their communities by redressing their plights something they said will promote unity and peaceful co-existence between the company and residents in the affected communities.
The women told the gathering that several communications have been sent to the administration of Arcelor Mittal Liberia including follow ups, but everything seems to be falling on deaf ears.
The meeting which took place on Thursday in Yekepa at the Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) hall, was the beginning of series of dialogues and Townhall meetings COPAD will carry out in selected communities in the AML concession area.
Arcelor Mittal is a world giant steel and mining company which commenced its operations in Liberia at the Yekepa area in 2006 during the first regime of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Liberia Public Radio is yet to receive comment from Mittal Steel about the residents’ statement.
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