By Edward Kollie|Contributing writer
Calm has return Sing Africa Plantation Liberia Incorporated concession area in Bluyeama clan Zorzor District, Lofa County after three weeks protest by inhabitants of the area over what they termed as the dismay performance of the company in fulfilling its cooperate social responsibility.
Normal activities return to the forest community following the intervention of the Lofa County Superintendent William Tamba Kamba, Local authorities of Zorzor District and the Forestry Development Authority (FDA).
Disenchanted citizens of Bluyeama Clan in Zorzor District prior to the visitation of President George Weah to Lofa County in May embarked on a road block action as means of pressuring the company to pay land rental and cubic meter fees owed them.
The citizens also accused the company of failing to implement other social obligations such as the constructions of clinics, schools hand pumps and bridges in the first five years period as per their social agreement.
But at the During the mediation, the management of Sing Africa admitted owing the community in the tune of US$109,164.00 (one hundred nine thousand one hundred sixty four united states dollars) but pleaded with the community to allow them pay the money in 12 installment in 13 months period beginning July 2021 to August 31, 2022.
The Company at the same time committed themselves to fully implement the social agreement signed with the community before March 2022.
After the company admittance and though negotiation, Bluyeama citizens on consensus granted the appeal of Superintendent Kamba to take away the road block but promised to take further action against the Company if the company fails to live up to its commitment.
They then thanked Superintendent William Kamba for initiating such dialogue.
In response, superintendent Kamba lauded the people of Bluyeama for being calm and promise to ensure the company delivers on its promise.
History of the concession agreement
On January 2016, the people of Bluyeama Clan through Bluyeama Forest Management Committee and Sing Africa Plantation Liberia Incorporated signed a 15 year concession agreement with revision every five years.
When news broke about Sing Africa Plantation Liberia Incorporated replacing ECOWOOD Company in Bluyeama Clan, inhabitants of the dense forest community expressed delight.
According to the MOU, the annual payment of land rental fees per hectare, Sing Africa Plantation Liberia Incorporated agreed to pay to the FDA is US$1.25, and that 55% of the total amount collected, will be paid to the Bluyeama Community Forest Management Body.
Additionally, a sum of US$1.25 was agreed to be remunerated to Bluyeama by Sing Africa Plantation Liberia Incorporated as “cubic meter fees.” The company also agreed to link all 12 towns within Bluyeama Clan with a long-lasting road network within the first six years of the agreement duration, as well as construct three schools including two junior and one senior high school.
But the joy the people Bluyeama Clan had when the agreement was signed has sours since the Malaysian based company stated operation in the community.
Residents frustrated in SING African Plantation Liberia Incorporated
Josiah W. Mulbah Town Chief of Balagulazu Town, one of the affected communities in a recent interview with Liberia Public Radio before the recent protest expressed dismay over the company’s failure to construct its own clinic in the area.
According Mulbah the Clan of 12 towns depends on the only clinic in Balagulazu and that the company is also relying on the same clinic, which has limited medication.
“These days, the clinic cannot afford simple drugs for our children. Elderly people are prescribed drugs which are often bought at a nearby drugs store because of the population,” Chief Mulbah noted.
“The company has not built our schools, they were supposed to build two junior high schools and one high school, and the high school should be in Wuomai which is our clan headquarters.”
He graded the implementation of the social agreement by Sing Africa as 30% describing the first five years of operation as dreadful.
Zogbo Weedor Zazay a female resident of Wolorwomon Town, another affected community in an angry tone said she was not happy with the operation of Sing Africa, because the company has failed to live up to the agreement since it eas five years ago.
Worlorwomon continued to experience an old-age problem of bad road, lack of healthcare services and unsafe drinking water she mentioned.
Madam Weedor Zayzay noted that up to date, residents of the town are still fetching drinking water from a creek something she term as frustrating.
According to her they walk five hours to Balagulazu to attend to healthcare.
“Where is the clinic they promised, the schools they said they were going to build, where are they”? The company betrayed us she asserted.
Another resident of Goyazu town, the host of a large portion of the Bluyeama community Forest, Charles M. Weefar said it was saddened for the company to ignore the construction of major bridges as well as construction of a quality road.
“Look the road they are fixing substandard, they are not constructing quality bridge one or years from now everything will spoil” he asserted.
For his part, a member of the subsection of the management body, called Community Assembly, Bai Weefar expressed regrets over their performance as a body between the town and the company.
“We are not doing anything as a body. No meeting, because our big, big people who supposed to give us report to enable us report to the community are not doing so, therefore, if our time is complete, the people of Bluyeama will decide whether we will stay there or they will move us from there,” Weefer stated.
For Madam Weefar, the first five years of the 15 years contract was nothing but a waste.
Company Manager blame COVID-19
The CAMP Manager Peterson Moyo was quick to also shift blame of the company’s failure to address its social development responsibility to the Covid-19 outbreak, which according to him, affected exportation of processed woods.
“To be frank the company has not been able to even pay her workers for months now, it owes three four to five months, sometimes they promised and can’t pay” Moyo noted.
Moyo noted that the devastation caused by the COVID-19 outbreak on the company is unimaginable, noting it has not been the company’s plan to neglect her responsibility.
But why Moyo believed that his explanation is genuine, many residents think that if it was the only excuse the company have to offer, then, the company is not worth to manage their forest as COVID-19 pandemic only struck Liberia in 2020 four years after the concession agreement was signed.
As things stands, there appears to be no willingness from the Bluyeama citizens to sit on the negotiating table with the Company until their US$109, 164.00 (one hundred nine thousand one hundred sixty four united states dollars).
LPR has also earned that citizens of the area are not willing to give another five years to Sing Africa even if they paid the money owed them and implement the social agreement of the last five years as promised.
