BUTAW, SINOE COUNTY – Four hundred and forty-three workers have been laid off at Golden Veroleum Liberia, more than 10 percent of its workforce, the company said on Saturday.

Report by James Harding Giahyue, With New Narratives

“[They are] due to the downturn of the global economy due to the coronavirus and the constant drop in the price of oil palm on the world market,” said Alphonso Kofi, GVL’s communication officer in Sinoe in a phone interview. Employees in Sinoe and Grand Kru were affected, including general workers, staff, and managers, Kofi added.

GVL had proposed to slash some 1,200 jobs but reached an agreement with the government of Liberia to slice that number to 443, Kofi told FrontPage Africa.      

Oil palm price has fallen since the beginning this year by 452 Malaysian Ringgit (US$103.87) metric tons or 16.34 percent, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for the commodity. This is due to a slump in the demand for edible oil as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Liberia has recorded 20 deaths from 2023 cases of the disease as of May 15.  

GVL signed a 65-year concession with Liberia in 2010 for 350,000 hectares of land or approximately 2.3 percent of Liberia’s total landmass. The company’s primary investor is Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), the world’s second-largest palm oil company, listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX).

It is the third time the company, the largest palm plantation in Liberia, has laid off staff. It had job-cuts in 2012 and 2015.  

These redundancies show that communities cannot depend on big concessioners, said James Otto of Sustainable Development Institute. “The action by GVL to lay off citizens from jobs clearly shows that promises made by agro concessions are unrealistic and only intended to lure communities to give away their lands.”

This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of our Land Rights and Climate Change Reporting Project. Funding was provided by the American Jewish World Service. The Funder had no say in the story’s content.

Sinoe County – Golden Veroleum Liberia and the citizens of Butaw have jointly broken grounds for the construction of US$120,000 eight classroom annex and a teacher quarter at the Butaw Junior High School for the elevation of the school to senior secondary high School level.

The projects are fulfillment of many project commitments made to the people of Butaw in the Memorandum of Understanding Incorporating Social Agreement (MOUSA) signed between GVL and Butaw District Communities on February 10, 2017.

The school will include the construction of 8 classroom annex building at a cost of US$80,000.00 to be equipped with a modern 4 rooms’ flush commode toilet, a hand pump with a reservoir overhead.

The teacher quarter cost is put at US$40,000.00. The modern teacher quarter will contain 8 bed rooms for teachers on the school campus.

Presenting a symbolic check to the contracted company, T-Star Construction and Engineering Company at the ground breaking ceremony in Butaw, GVL Chief Executive Officer, Burhan Telasman said GVL is happy to partner with its host communities in bringing development and hope to them.

Mr. Telasman encouraged the people of Butaw and the school administration to make proper use of the project when completed.

It is GVL’s interest that the children of Butaw district have a better learning environment and develop to bring forth a brighter future for the district, county and Liberia as whole”. Said Telasman.

Sinoe County Education Officer Malayee Chayard praised GVL for the project stating that the project is the first of its in kind in the county by a concession company.

Mr. Chayard told the gathering that it is the dream of Sinoe to see high schools built in all districts.

He therefore committed that the he will support the project and the building when completed, will be used for its intended purpose.

With his hands high up in the air, Benedict Menawah, Chairman of Butaw, A-Bloteh said he is very pleased with the level of development being carried out in the district by GVL.

Mr. Menawah told the gathering that he is withdrawing and waiving any concerns he has with GVL and thank GVL for such development in the district.

He concluded that GVL will be given more land in order to continue its development in the district and provide additional employment to Butaw citizens.

Speaking on behalf of the people of Butaw, James Doe, Co-Chairman of Butaw Welfare and Development Association, Clarence Chea, Paramount Chief of Kao Chiefdom in a separate remarks, praised GVL for fulfilling its MOU commitments and promised to keep working closely in peace and unity with GVL.

Butaw District Commissioner Togba Bestman joined his kinsmen to praise GVL for bringing development in his district and said that all projects currently being implemented in the District by GVL will forever be remembered by the good and loving people of Butaw.

Golden Veroleum Liberia is a Liberia registered long term Business Company which seeks to work with Liberians to bring real industries and factories to Liberia especially in rural communities.

In Butaw alone for this year, GVL has constructed a US$52,000 road project, construction of 13 kilometer road linking Butaw seaside to the rest of Butaw is in progress while a US$33,000 nurses quarter is under construction in the district. GVL currently employed approximately 3,600 Liberians heavily based in Sinoe and Grand Kru counties.

GVL donates annually to the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Agriculture a scholarship grant of US$100,000 for deserving Liberian students studying agriculture and engineering.

Up to date, US$700,000 has been donated to the Ministry of Agriculture. The company has deposited into 6 community accounts at least US$92,000 dollars in community development fund across Sinoe and Grand Kru counties.

Butaw District, Sinoe County – It was a scene of jubilation at the Butaw Compound in Butaw District, Sinoe County on 10 February 2017 as Golden Veroleum Liberia and the people of Butaw District signed a Memorandum of Understanding Incorporating Social Agreement following more than 4 years of discussion.

The signing brought together more than 400 Butaw citizens from the District and Monrovia including youth, women leaders, elders, traditional leaders, paramount chiefs and clan chiefs among others.

Under the agreement, Golden Veroleum Liberia has agreed to construct an annex of 8 classrooms for the Butaw Elementary and Junior high school, an auditorium for Grgsby Farm school, an 8-bedroom teachers quarters in Butaw, a 2.25 kilometer road linking Tugbeh village to Ceedor Township, a 13.23 kilometer road linking Plouh community to Ceekloh, Butaw Seaside and two palaver huts to host community meetings in the District.

To promote healthy water supply and better sanitation, the agreement also seeks to construct 7 hand pumps and two sets of pit latrines within Butaw District.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Prosper Browne, Superintendent of Sinoe County watched by Sinoe Senators Joseph Nagbe and Milton Teahjay, thanked the people of Butaw and GVL for the agreement.

Hon. Browne promised to work with the people of Butaw and GVL to make sure the MOU is fully implemented according to expectations on all sides.

Benedict Manewah, Chairman of the Butaw A-Bloteh Committee praised GVL for the level of cooperation received and for the MOU signed.

Mr. Manewah believes, with GVL, the benefits of development for the District are now much clearer.

“I am filled with joy. I will not make confusion with GVL. I beg them now, because GVL is doing great things in Butaw, the relationship between GVL and Butaw is pleasant. I will encourage my community so that we hold GVL very well.”

“Today, I am very happy to see the new road going to the seaside in Butaw that has never had a road connection before,” he said. 

Mr. Manewah is calling on his fellow Butaw citizens to work closely with Golden Veroleum Liberia in an effort to improving the living standards of every citizen in Butaw.

He mentioned that GVL should now be able to negotiate with local citizens to acquire more land from the people of base on the level of development taking place in the District. He said that the people of Butaw are now prepared to give additional land to GVL because relations are now very good.

Dixon Patten, GVL Assistant Manager for Community Affairs and Social Sustainability in Butaw, said GVL is committed to implementing the MOU.

Mr. Patten said it is important to GVL to maintain excellent community relations as it will be working with the community for a long time.

“Relations between the people of Butaw and GVL have improved and we will continue to keep it this way. We believe we now have one of the best community engagement processes in Africa,” said Patten.

According to GVL Communications Coordinator, Leroy Kanmoh, GVL has a strengthened communications strategy with communities and other stakeholders in Liberia.

Mr. Kanmoh said that, in 2012, the people of Butaw complained to the governing body for responsible oil palm companies, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

In 2013, GVL hired the services of an independent consultant, The Forest Trust (TFT) to assess its community engagement procedures and to help GVL make recommended improvements.

Kanmoh said GVL fully implemented the TFT recommendations and developed a robust Free Prior and Informed Consent process.

Following long negotiations whch settled the key concerns raised by the Butaw communities, in 2015, the Butaw communities wrote to the RSPO withdrawing their complaint.

Mr. Kanmoh said the RSPO then wrote to both parties to work together to negotiate and sign a MOU, after which the RSPO would be able to close the complaint.

Golden Veroleum Liberia is a Liberia registered long term business initiated company which seeks to work with Liberians to bring real industries and factories to Liberia especially in rural communities.

GVL currently employees approximately 3,800 Liberians heavily based in Sinoe and Grand Kru counties.

GVL donates annually to the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Agriculture a scholarship grant of US$100,000 for deserving Liberian students studying agriculture and engineering.

Up to date, US$700,000 has been donated to the Ministry of Agriculture. The company has deposited into 6 community accounts at least US$92,000 dollars in community development fund across Sinoe and Grand Kru counties.

The construction of a three-beDroom Butaw clinic staff quarter is the first community development fund project by GVL.

Butaw, Sinoe County – Citizens of Butaw District in Sinoe County and Golden Veroleum Liberia on Friday, 20 January 2017 broke grounds for the construction of a US$33,395.80 four bed rooms modern nurses quarter at the Butaw clinic funded under GVL Community Development Fund program.

The project which is being implemented by T-Star Engineering and Construction Company is empowering local economy by purchasing construction materials including sand, crush rocks, planks from Butaw citizens.

The project also provides employment for Butaw citizens. The selection of contractor follows a competitive bidding process.

Flomo Molubah, GVL General Manager for Sustainability praised the Butaw community for designating the project and for the peaceful co-existence between GVL and the community so far. Mr. Molubah maintained that GVL is committed to improving the livelihood and wellbeing of its host communities.

“We are very happy today that we are breaking grounds for the first CDF project and to see citizens of Butaw turning out peacefully. We can assure you that we remain committed to lifting up to our commitments”. Flomo concluded.

The Community Development Fund works so that every year GVL deposits money into the fund. Up to date, GVL has deposited US$50,144.80 into Butaw community development fund account alone as its contribution to infrastructure development in the district.

The fund utilization is decided by the community appointed fund commissioners while GVL role is to advise on technical matters and ensure proper financial procedures are followed. The Butaw community has accumulated the fund until deciding proper use.

Making separate remarks at the brief ground breaking ceremony held at the clinic compound in Tue community, the Chairman of the Butaw Welfare & Development Association, Nathan Kai, Dennis Jabbah, representative of Butaw Communities on the Community Development Fund Committee, Bestman Weagbah, Butaw Township commissioner and other eminent citizens of the district expressed their enthusiasms about the project and lauded GVL for fulfilling its concession agreement commitments.

The citizens pledged that the existing relationship between GVL and Butaw will forever remain cordial. Adding that whosoever that will try to go against GVL in the district will be doing such at his or her own risk as the community will strongly resist such act.

“We are very happy today that we can now use money generated from our soil to carry out development in our District. This is a good start and we see it today as a symbol of peace pipe been smoked and we should not allow anyone to disturb the relationship we now have with GVL” said Nathan Kai, Chairman, Butaw Welfare and Development Association.

Butaw District Health Officer, Akoi Jargbah represented by health worker Charles Gbona, expressed gladness over the project. He said when completed health workers will be happy to stay in the district due to the facility which according to him is lacking at several health facilities in the district.

According to Alphonso Kofi, GVL Communications Officer in Sinoe, the 33,395.80 project is the first CDF project undertaken by GVL as other communities have accumulated the fund before deciding on projects for implementation. Mr. Kofi said the project is a part of many projects to be funded by GVL Community Development Fund in fulfillment of Article 19 of GVL Concession Agreement signed with the Government of Liberia.

GVL has developed approximately 2,500 hectares of land in the Butaw District. Overall in 2016, Golden Veroleum Liberia’s partnership communities in Sinoe and Grand Kru, operated six community development fund accounts where GVL deposited US$92,490.90. GVL has signed CDF charters with six communities in Sinoe and Grand kru.

The communities and GVL establish committees comprising of 10 members drawn from the community, GVL and the Government of Liberia. These committees are set up to ensure effective and transparent management of the CDF funds so that the local communities may develop and manage their own social infrastructure development projects. These may include schools, clinics, hand pumps and other projects that are in addition to those undertaken by GVL as agreed in the MOUs.

Sinoe County – Golden Veroleum Liberia has donated 102 cartons of books to 14 schools in Butaw, Juarzon, Tarjuowon, Numopoh, Tartweh and Natrian communities in Sinoe County.

The move seeks to help communities develop a learning environment where requisite books are available to improve the learning capacity of children.

Elizabeth Johnson commented, “I am just a retired school teacher who sees the children’s need for books and has found a way to fill that need through generous donations of books and shipping fees from my community, and the support of the Liberian Shipping Company.

“I am delighted that Sinoe children will have excellent learning materials because Knowledge is Power.”

Juarzon Central High School in Juarzon District received 8 cartons; J. Milton Teajay High School 8 cartons, Kulu Elementary school 5 cartons, and Upper Kulu Junior High School in Tarjuowon 8 cartons.

Other schools are Butaw Junior High School, 8 cartons; Gibsonville Junior High School, 8 cartons; and Chea Town Elementary in Butaw District, Tubmanville Junior High School, 8 cartons; Pochen Public Elementary School, 5 cartons; and Saywon Town Elementary School, 5 cartons.

Additional schools benefiting include: Numopoh Central Elementary School, 5 cartons; Kpanyan Central Elementary School, Nitrain, 5 cartons; and Wolee Junior High School, Dou-Wolee Nyenue, 8 cartons.

Making the presentation to the schools on behalf of Madam Johnson, GVL School System Coordinator Mike Naklen said the donation provides high-quality learning materials to the community schools.

Mike Naklen called on the schools to make maximum use of the materials provided them. He said the books comprised of mathematics, English, encyclopedias, novels, dictionaries, and biology books.

“I want to say that through GVL Elizabeth Johnson is making real her dream of providing quality learning materials to Liberian children through the Liberia Book Drive and the Liberia Book Trust.” said Mike Naklen.

Receiving the donations, the principals and Parent-Teachers Association chairpersons and community members expressed delighted over the donation by Ms. Johnson through GVL.

The administrators expressed their commitment that that the books donated will be used for their intended purpose. The school administrators recognized the outstanding contribution made to them by Elizabeth Johnson through GVL.

According to GVL Communications Coordinator the books were given to GVL by Elizabeth Johnson and many American donors. Leroy Kanmoh says the donation currently benefits more 300 students in Sinoe County. “We will continue to work with Elizabeth Johnson to help develop our school and community schools in Sinoe. We are hoping to extend this to Grand Kru in the future,” said Kanmoh.

Elizabeth Johnson is an educational consultant for the College Board in the U.S. She first visited Liberia in November, 2013 at which time she provided professional development for the staff at a Liberian orphanage.

Her introduction to GVL coincided with her program of organizing a book drive because of the great need for more and better materials to help Liberian children.

In March 2016, Golden Veroleum Liberia in partnership Ms. Johnson concluded two professional development training courses for 60 teachers from 8 schools in Butaw, Tarjuowon, and Greenville in Sinoe County.

The workshop sought to sharpen the skills and enhance the capacity of teachers; examine an integrated kindergarten to 12^th grade English Curriculum; strengthen reading, writing, and critical thinking skills; and examine effects of trauma on educational achievement.

The Liberia Book Trust honors Ms. Johnson for a meaningful contribution to education in Liberia following the conduct of professional development trainings in Sinoe and Monrovia, including Second Chance Academy and the Methodist School in Paynesville, and the United Methodist University. Over 300 people in total attended her workshops.