Gbarpolu County – The Technical Manager of the Community Forest Department of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Atty. Gertrude W.N. Nyaley has admonished community Forest Management committee in Gbarpolu County to protect investors.
Report by Henry B. Gboluma, Jr. /[email protected]
Atty. Nyaley made the comment during the signing of a third party Forest Management Agreement between the Korninga ‘A’ Community and Coveiyala Investment Enterprise Incorporated on April 25, in Henry Town, Bopolu District.
“Whenever the company does something to you wrong or you do not understand, please do not block their way, do not burn their equipment, and do not take a gun and run behind them,” she said.
“They are your investor, you introduced them to us, and so you must protect them and complain them to us for the success of this agreement.”
Johnson Flomo, chief officer of the community management team, signed on behalf of Korninga ‘A’ while the company Chief Executive Officer Wang Yue signed for his logging company.
The community forest covers a total area of 48,298 hectares. The agreement had since taken immediate effect and will last for 14 years.
Under the agreement, the company will pay US$1.50 per hectare annually as land rental fee, out of which the affected communities will benefit 55% while the government will benefit 45%.
The logging company will also pay US$2.50 for every cubic meter of log into the community’s bank account a year.
The company will also contribute US$15,000.00 as scholarship fund annually. They will also construct a health center in the first year of operation and build at least 20 hand pumps and 20 latrines in the seven affected towns.
They also guaranteed to extend the three elementary schools in the third year and construct new high school in the fifth year of operation.
They will build a mini hydra, plywood or sawmill factory to boost employment opportunity in the affected communities.
Part of the company obligation is to construct the first Wood Science College in the county to serve as a learning center in Liberia.
On the other hand, the forest management committee will educate the affected communities to discourage unnecessary fire disposal and encourage fire safety practices in the contract area.
Both parties agreed that the contract will be reviewed every five years, and the agreement shall be terminated if the company fails to commence harvesting operation within 12 months as of the signing date.
During remarks, the president of Covieyala Enterprise assured the community that the firm will fully abide by the agreement.
Anthony Uery said, “We are ready to fulfill whatever we have signed today to the letter.”
Meanwhile, the Co-chair of the civil society of Gbarpolu, Lydia Ballah acknowledged said, “We will play our role as twins’ mother to make sure that no want will violate this legal document.”
Speaking on behalf of the communities, Olu Nangba said the agreement was the first social agreement with any company.
“And when you use to ask they used to say that the president sent them. So, this is one of the laws that are in the best interest of the communities that allowed the company to negotiate with communities,” he said.