MONROVIA – The Director General of the National Bureau of Concessions (NBC), Attorney Edwin Dennis, has admitted to the appalling living conditions of citizens within the operational areas of most concession companies operating in Liberia.
Majority of the citizens residing at most concession areas, particularly in Grand Cape Mount, Bong and Nimba Counties, are experiencing severe hardship despite the extraction of billions of dollars’ worth of natural resources, including diamond, gold, iron ore and timber, among others by foreign investors from their communities.
They remain faced with mountainous constraints ranging from lack of access to safe drinking water, adequate health care delivery, better secondary and tertiary education, scholarship opportunities, market buildings to enable farmers sell their produce, better road connectivity, among others.
They continue to get poorer, while those who foreign investors who leased their lands to extract resources continue to maximize profits to their detriment.
Atty. Dennis pointed out though the situation exists at most concession areas, the NBC will not move arbitrarily to take any actions.
He claimed that the manner and form in which most of these concession agreements were authored, remains the mastermind behind the decline in the living conditions of citizens, and the backwardness of various communities in those operational areas.
He made these comments in an interview with reporters at his office in Congo Town, outside Monrovia recently.
Atty. Dennis’ assertions were in direct respond to an inquiry from FrontPage Africa on why the living conditions of citizens at various concession areas remain the same even though foreign companies continue to extract tens of billions worth of minerals from the Liberian soil or forests.
“You are right; but the approach we are taking is not to be arbitrary but to work consistent with the agreements. The ways some of these agreements were fractioned are the origin of some of the problems we talking about (in the concession areas)”.
“You fractioned an agreement and say you will build school when in fact, the people do not need school. It’s not that education is not important, but is school their need right now? These people are living in dwelling areas that are not even conducive for their health-how will them even go to school?”
Atty. Dennis attributed consistent demonstration or protest actions staged by aggrieved citizens against some concession companies operating in Liberia to the lack of peace between concessionaires and the locals.
He expressed disappointment over the formulation of concession agreements without the input of the locals who are directly affected at a result of the signing of those agreements.
He stressed the need for the involvement of citizens at the grassroot level in the finalization of concession agreements in Liberia to help avoid or curtail the growing wave of protests or demonstrations at concession companies.
Atty. Dennis added that citizens at the community level must be included to ensure that benefits stipulated in those concession agreements signed with the government meet their consensus.
“It is because of this lack of tranquility in concession affected communities you see all these protests. No businessman wants that. Our effort is to also inform the communities as to what the companies are about. We also need to involve the communities into formulating the concession agreements so that they will know what is in there for them and therefore, could not expect what is not there”.
Some agreements are not good
Speaking further, Atty. Dennis pointed out that some of the concession agreements signed between the Liberian government and other foreign companies are not “good” for the country and its people. He fell short of referencing a particular concession agreement that is not in the interest of Liberia and its citizens
According to him, the NBC is critically looking at these agreements.
“We are looking at some agreements; we know that some are not good; some are good. Where there’s a need to have fixes, we will create fixes. We are also happy that the Inter-Ministerial Concession Committee is also coming along. ”
No “combative approach”
Atty. Dennis pointed out that despite the current situation, the NBC will not take a “combative approach” against any concessionaire or government’s institution.
According to him, the cool posture of the agency is intended to promote peace among government institutions dealing with concessions and concession companies operating in the country.
He stressed that when peace subsists among concessions-related ministries and agencies of the Liberian government, the NBC will now be in the position to take actions in the interest of citizens who are being affected at various concession areas in the country.
“As an institution we also want to continue to forge the peaceful atmosphere in this institution because, it will be good for our work and we don’t want to have a combative approach to government institutions and concession companies. If we have a peaceful situation here, we can move forward and outside to the communities to also create peace between concession companies and the communities who are affected by concession activities”
Revision
According to him, the NBC will ensure the revision of various concession agreements as per the agreements signed with the Liberian government.
Atty. Dennis indicated that these concessions have their respective periods of revision, and as such, the agency will not hesitate to take actions including renegotiating better in the interest of Liberians.
“They (concessions) will be revisited when time comes in line for them to be revisited. Currently, there is an ongoing review process for one Concession Company. While the review process is going on, we are talking with them to do some other things that were not bettered”.
According to him, the NBC is making sure that scholarships being awarded citizens under concession agreements benefit those hailing or residing in those areas.
“You can’t be on a concession company scholarship and you don’t live or originate from that concession community; because, the scholarship was meant for people who are residing in that community or originated from that community”.
Lack of understanding
Meanwhile, Atty. Dennis has expressed disappointment over the lack of proper understanding of concession by citizens as well as other government ministries and agencies handling concession-related matters.
“Our primary focus is to re-orientate our people as to what is concession. Much of the perception out there is concession has to do with only income-those that mine gold, diamond, forestry. Our law has defined what concession is and we intend to stick to that”
“We are contacting other institutions of government to understand that concession is not only restricted to these big ones. In that way, we will be breaking new ground to bolster what the understanding of concession is”.