Monrovia – Members of the House of Representatives has responded to speculations they requested US$1.5 million from Hummingbird to have their agreement ratified.
Report by Henry Karmo – [email protected]
Representative Matenokay Tingban, Chairman on the House of Representatives Committee on Lands, Mines, Energy and Natural Resources said, the allegations was false and misleading describing it as “blackmail”.
“I have not seen the email that is implicating the committee to an act of soliciting bribery to pass the Hummingbird Agreement.”
“I also got information from our press bureau that Representative Zoe Pennue who is not a member of the committee was allegedly used in the process to go and negotiate on behalf of the committee.
“What I want to clearly state here is that there is no amount of blackmailing that will compel us to do something counterproductive to the economic survivability of our country. I have a professional background in the mining industry and I know how the sector works,” Tingban said.
Tingban who is one of the committee chairs recently appointed by Speaker Emmanuel Nuquay said, it was not a mistake by the Speaker appointed him as committee chair on Lands, Mines energy, Natural Resources and Environment.
The Senate Joint Committee on Lands, Mines, Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental; Judiciary, Claims, Human Rights and Petition as well as Investment and Concession recently declined to proceed with the ratification of the Mineral Development Agreement between Liberia and Hummingbird Resources.
The Joint Committee, according to its chair, Senator Albert Chie, sent the agreement back to the Executive to address the “many inconsistencies in the agreement”.
“The Joint Committee hereby recommends to the Plenary of the Senate to suspend the ratification process of the proposed Mineral Development Agreement between Hummingbird Resources (Liberia) Inc., and the Republic of Liberia, pending explanation from the President of Liberia on the issues concerning the lumping of four exploration licenses into a single Mineral Development Agreement and the lack of a plan in the MDA towards the mining of the over four million ounces of inferred gold resource discovered in Sinoe County.
“The proposed Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) between the Government and Hummingbird Resources (Liberia) Inc. lacks many details in crucial areas including the lumping together of four exploration license areas into a single MDA instead of four separate MDAs in line with the New Minerals and Mining Law approved on April 3, 2000, the committee stated,” the joint committee’s report noted.
Meanwhile, Representative Zoe Pennue has challenged people making the claim to show proof. He promised to resign if the proven against him or shown that he was ever at the offices of Hummingbird or even a voice recording with any official of Hummingbird.
He said though he has not heard anyone making the allegation, he believed that it is the work of his opponents as he is preparing for re-election as representative for the people district # 7 Grand Gedeh County.
Penue: “In the first place, perception is what killing this country. I am not on any of the committees of 14 men and women.”
“What sense does that make that they will call me to negotiate bribery for them. I cannot be the one to take the hot pot from the fire for my colleagues if even the rumor was true.”
“We are going to elections some of us who are popular in our districts running to replace ourselves have opposition and I believed these are the work of our opponents.
“I Zoe Pennue from Grand Gedeh County came here with integrity and if I am to leave from here, I will leave with integrity. I challenge any employee from Hummingbird to show picture of me or any prove at their office I will resign as lawmaker to save the faces of the people of Grand Gedeh County.”