Monrovia – Former Nimba County District No. 6 lawmaker, Ricks Toweh, is in bad book with chiefs, elders and residents of Doru Chiefdom in Nimba County. Mr. Toweh is being pressured to pay the amount of US$800,000 to the chiefdom.
The former Nimba lawmaker, who is the owner and operator of the logging company, Liberia Tree & Trading Corporation (LTTC), has been accused of being indebted to the Doru people in arrears of more than US$800,000 for occupying and logging on 36,700 hectares of land.
In 2010, the LTTC and the people of Doru Chiefdom, through the Chiefdom’s Community Forest Management Body (CFMB) entered into a community forest agreement for the duration of 25 years.
It was agreed that logging operations upon the signing of all relevant documents with the land government agencies and the issuance of logging permit by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) in keeping with the community rights law of 2009, the LTTC shall pay US$2.50 per hectare annually to the Doru Chiefdom representing land rental for the use of the 36,700 forest land.
The document mandates the LTTC to construct one clinic and a school—elementary and a high school—for the community at an estimated cost of US$85,000. It also demands the company to construct a second clinic after six years of operations.
According to the documents in the possession of FrontPageAfrica, out of the US$85,000, US$50,000 should be used for the construction of the high school, while remaining US$35,000 should be used for the construction of the elementary school.
The agreement also calls for the construction of five pit latrines and five hand pumps in the community and to be designated by the people of the chiefdom.
According to members of the chiefdom, the former Nimba County lawmaker and his company have failed to meet up with any of the agreement in the MOU since the company started its logging operations in the Doru Forest in 2010.
In one of the communications to the LTTC CEO, Toweh, under the signature of the Chief Officer of the Community Forest Management of Doru Chiefdom, Mr. Sisco Gbortoe, they urged the company to adhere to all of the agreements entered by them and him.
He said due to the failure of the company to comply with the agreement, they are now demanding the company to vacate the forest since the people of the operational areas are yet to benefit for the past nine years of operations of LTTC in Doru Chiefdom.
He affirmed that they have complained the entity to the FDA and other relevant government institutions through written communications about the non-compliant posture of the company since its operations started in the area.
Said Mr. Gbortoe: “We have told them over and over to pay the money or vacate our forest because the people who gave him the forest are not benefiting anything. We have taken this young man and his company to court in Nimba and won him. He took an appeal to the Supreme Court but he still did not succeed, but he is still refusing to pay the money or adhere to what is in the agreement.”
Mr. Gbortoe told FrontPageAfrica that the 45% of the US$800,000 owed by the LTTC belongs to the Government of Liberia.
He disclosed that the chiefdom has finalized all necessary papers work to terminate the agreement between the people of Doru Chiefdom and the company.
He said in keeping with the provision of the agreement, the Chiefdom appointed Atty Jamal C. Dehtho, Jr, Assistant Professor of Law, Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia as Doru Chiefdom’s representative on the board of arbitration, and requested the FDA to appoint the chairperson to the board of arbitration so that the board will be constituted for the conduct of the arbitration proceedings.
“The LTTC was duly notified and requested it to appoint its representative to the board in keeping with the terms of the agreement, but has since deliberately refused to acknowledge or respond to our communication,” he said.
FrontPageAfrica attempted for days in contacting Ricks Toweh, the owner and CEO of the LTTC, but was unable to reach him. It is said that he on medical absence from the country.
The Doru Forest commences at the confluence of the Gwen Creek and the Cestos River, thence a line runs along the Cestos River in the northern direction for 61,757 meters to the point on international consultant capital (ICC) southern boundary line; thence a line runs 88 degree west for 15,980 meters to the point on the Gwen Creek; thence a line runs along the Gwen Creek in southern direction for 30,114 meters to the point of commencement, embracing 35,000 hectare of primary forest and no more.