Top: One of several sewage lines ArcelorMittal uses to dump feces in a wetland used by local farmers. The DayLight/Franklin Nehyalor
By Franklin Nehyalor
YEKEPA, Nimba County – ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) has not completed an Environmental Protection Agency recommendation to restore a wetland the company degraded and polluted in Yekepa, according to an EPA report.
The steel company was mandated to reinstate 9.33 acres of wetland that it polluted with human feces, according to the report published in March this year but recently obtained by The DayLight.
The EPA investigation was commissioned after residents of Area Q, S1, and Liagbala—three communities mainly affected by the pollution—erected a roadblock in February this year for “the constant habit of (AML) dumping employees’ feces into their communities.”
The investigation corroborated the communities’ accusation. It found that the company’s sewage plant had contaminated groundwater in the area after two tests.
“The result of the analysis shows that iron, phosphate and e-coli were above permissible limits in both ground waters samples,” the EPA report said. E. coli for the Escherichia coli bacterium, iron and phosphate in water cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, occasional fever for people, and low dissolved oxygen for fish.
ArcelorMittal dumps human feces into a wetland in Yekepa, Nimba County, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The DayLight/Franklin Nehyalor
ArcelorMittal continues to violate EPA’s orders.
On April 17, 2024, about a month after the report, police arrested an ArcelorMittal tanker transporting 7,200 gallons of feces from Buchanan, Grand Bassa County to Yekepa, Nimba County.
In a statement seen by The DayLight, Prince Moore, AML’s tanker driver, told police that he was dispatched on April 16 to collect sewage waste from Buchanan to Yekepa by the transport office of ArcelorMittal.
But the EPA, the government agency that authorizes the transport of hazardous wastes or substances in or out of Liberia, said it was unaware of the transport. “The EPA did not give AML any permit to transfer sewage waste from Buchanan to Yekepa,” Danise Dodoo, EPA’s head of media and corporate communications, said in an email reply.
ArcelorMital’s failure to obtain approval to transport the sewage waste violates the Environmental Protection and Management Law of Liberia, punishable by a fine of not more than US$50,000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 20 years, or both.
The headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia(EPA). The DayLight/Mark Newa.
The EPA March 6 report was the second of two assessments by the agency regarding ArcelorMittal’s degradation of biodiversity in Nimba. In June 2022, an EPA assessment found the steel company guilty of environmental pollution and soil degradation in three communities in Yekepa after Nimba Mom-Waa, a local advocacy group that represents the affected communities, filed a complaint with the agency. The group had identified alleged environmental pollution and soil degradation and asked the EPA to investigate the matter.
After a thorough assessment, the EPA imposed a four-part fine on ArcelorMittal, totaling US$110,000 for breaking Liberia’s environmental laws.
The 2022 report also outlined six recommendations that should have been completed, including providing compensation packages to all farmers for damages caused to crops, alternative livelihoods for farmers using the polluted portion of the wetland and repair to damaged sewage lines. The recommendations included the construction of a water treatment plant and the provision of at least one treated drinking water source in each of the three affected communities.
But Alex Paye, the executive director of Nimba Mon-Waa, told this paper that the water treatment plant is nonfunctional and AML is yet to provide treated water units in the affected communities.
“The company still buys minerals [water] from an Indian company for its employees while our people suffer,” he said.
Restoration of the wetland should have been completed in a hundred days and the repair of broken sewage pipes from residential and office buildings hosting the company and its workers, in 60 days.
A septic tank that AML uses to dispose of feces in a nearby wetland with tree crops. TheDayLight/Franklin Nehyalor
The March recommendation also included the construction of water treatment units for communities in sixty days, as of the date of the release of the March 6, 2024 report.
Friday, June 21, 2024, makes the count exactly 105 days since the recommendations.
Winston Daryoue, AML’s Communication Manager, said the company is making efforts to address these issues.
“ArcelorMittal Liberia is in conversation with local community members to address their queries in relation to the restoration of the wetland,” Winston wrote via email.
“We are presently carrying out the tendering process to hire a vendor for the construction of two solar water kiosks at Areas Q and S. Construction work will commence in due course.”
ArcelorMittal has implemented some of the recommendations. It paid US$16,583.53 to compensate 25 farmers whose crops were damaged by the pollution. It has also introduced alternative livelihood for those affected by the pollution and contracted a company to repair and maintain its sewage lines.
This story was a production of the Community of Forest and Environmental Journalists of Liberia (CoFEJ).
Top: The Tarsue Community Forest covers 9,714 hectares of forest in Tarsue Chiefdom of Sanquin District, Sinoe County. The DayLight/Derick Snyder
By Emmanuel Sherman
SANQUIN – The Tarsue Authorized Community Forest in Sinoe County wants a contract with a new logging company.
Tarsue signed an agreement with the West Africa Forest Development Incorporated (WAFDI) in 2019. Locals leased the forest to the Chinese-owned company in exchange for roads, bridges, a school and a clinic. That was in addition to annual land rental and harvesting fees for the 9,714 hectares of forest in the Sanquin District of Sinoe County.
However, the WAFDI abandoned the agreement from the onset, with the community embroiled in an internal wrangle until the contract expired earlier this year.
“We made several efforts for the company to come to find a way forward but nothing was achieved…,” Tarsue said in an April letter to the Forestry Development Authority, seen by The DayLight.
“Now that the period for the contract has ended, we are calling on the FDA to support us in this situation kindly…,” the letter added.
In a reply to Tarsue’s letter, the FDA’s Managing Director Rudolph Merab said the agency would address Tarsue’s in-house dispute before settling the WAFDI issue. Like the WAFDI agreement, all tenures of the members of the leadership of Tarsue have elapsed.
“This communication is timely and corresponds with [management’s] plan… to send a team to conduct [an] election and to address the expired tenure situation…,” Merab’s letter, seen by DayLight, read.
‘You are… removed’
Tarsue’s problem began as soon as it selected WAFDI to operate its forest in 2019.
The community accused the late Dennis Wiah, then leader of the forest, and Alfred Dolo, another leader, of unilaterally selecting WAFDI. Villagers had earlier agreed to lease the forestland to another company, according to Oliver Pyne, a member of the community’s leadership.
“Instead, they brought WAFDI, they only brought the name, but never brought any representative,” recalled Pyne in an interview in Komannah Town.
“So, when they brought the agreement, it became an argument on the ground.”
Oliver Pyne, a member of the community forest management body of Tarsue Community Forest. The DayLight/James Giahyue
In 2021, Towns and villages that own forests asked Wiah to leave the position. “You are hereby removed and dismissed from your position as chief officer of the Tarsue Community Forest by the decision of the community assembly (CA) in our sitting on September 30, 2021,” the letter said. The community informed the FDA of its decision in October the next year. Wiah died later.
Following his death, an ad-hoc committee, comprising Pyne’s brother Ericson Pyne and others, assumed the leadership role.
That did not solve the problem. WAFDI remained inactive, failing to pay the community land rental and scholarship fees. WAFDI also did not conduct any of its mandatory projects in Tarsue, including hand pumps, town halls, roads and bridges. It did not cut down a single tree throughout this time.
With the contract expired and community forest leaders’ tenures elapsed, locals are mounting pressure on the FDA. Under the law, the regulator should supervise the elections of officers on the governance structure of the community forest.
It has been more than two months since Merab said the FDA would visit the community but nothing has happened.
Nora Boweir, FDA’s Deputy Managing Director for Community, Conservation and Carbon Harvesting, had not gathered the resources to visit Tarsue.
“Our plan is to go there and deal with the challenges they are facing, and give them the support as soon we are able to raise the required resources, funds,” Boweir said.
Paramount Chief John Koah hopes a new company will bring development to the Tarsue Chiefdom. The DayLight/James Giahyue
John Koah, Paramount Chief of Tarsue Chiefdom has not lost hope. He dreams that one day a new company will come to take over the community forest.
“We are expecting school building, hand pumps, hospital and the old people here to be getting [a] small thing,” Koah said in an interview in Teacher’s Town.
Augustine Johnson, an affiliate of WAFDI, said he was not authorized to speak on the Tarsue matter. He told The Daylight through a mobile phone interview was only responsible for WAFDI’s contract with Gheegbarn One Community Forest in Grand Bassa County.
Efforts to reach out to Wang Chenchen, the owner of WAFDI, proved futile. Someone else answered the phone number on the company’s article of incorporation. Johnson, who said Mr. Wang had traveled to China, declined to share his contact.
This story was a production of the Community of Forest and Environmental Journalists of Liberia (CoFEJ).
Top: Mineworkers of an unidentified company have invaded the Bondi Mandingo Forest in Gbarpolu County. The DayLight/Esau J. Farr
By Esau J. Farr
GBARQUOITA – Illegal miners have encroached on a community forest in Gbarpolu County, felling trees, polluting streams and digging huge pits in their relentless mining for gold.
The miners set up a camp in the Bondi Mandingo Authorized Community Forest surrounded by large, deep pits, used as fences. The DayLight saw armed anti-riot police officers guarding the camp.
Asian mineworkers—based on their language and appearances—and others with a Ghanaian accent transferred gravels through excavators to a planting. The staffers interviewed corroborated the reporter’s observation of the miner’s nationalities. The miners arrived there last December, according to locals.
Our reporter photographed several trees felled by the company as well as large pits and dirt mounds. The miners have polluted the only creek in the area used by locals.
The name of the miner’s company is a mystery. It is called “JM Mining” in a letter from chiefs and elders, seen by The DayLight. A court document also refers to it as “Harming Mining Group of Companies.”
None of the two names are in the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s records. There are only three active, medium-scale mining licenses—consistent with the company’s operations—in Gbarpolu up to press time. None of the three licenses was granted for the area where the company operates.
The miners set up a camp in the community forest after entering it without authorization. The DayLight/Esau J. Farr
Abraham Mulbah, a representative of the unidentified company, evaded several attempts for an interview. Mulbah had postponed an initial interview on the ground that he was visiting an ailing relative. He asked the reporter to meet him in Bopolu, promising to share copies of the mystery company’s documents. However, Mulbah did not turn out at the venue of the interview he had given.
Follow-up efforts the reporter made to get the documents failed, including connecting the newspaper with the company’s owners.
The mystery company signed an illegal memorandum of understanding (MoU) with locals of Gbarquoita to mine gold in the Kpo Mountain in early May this year, according to locals. They had arrived there for exploration in December last year.
Armed with the MoU, the company is forcibly buying local artisanal miners’ claims, assisted by chiefs and elders. Miners Fatu Quemue and George Berrian have all been asked to surrender their mining claims. Mulbah had shared their documents with The DayLight when the reporter tracked him down at the goldmine.
“We write to inform you that the mining land you previously [occupied] had officially been [turned] over to the J.M. Mining by the citizens of [Gbarquoita],” a letter from the community to Berrian read.
A worksite of illicit miners in the Bondi Mandingo Forest. The DayLight/Esau J. Farr
Berrain told The DayLight he accepted the proposal under duress, and he did not get the full amount the supposed company promised. “What I have on the land should be paid for.”
The DayLight obtained Quemue’s and Berrian’s documents, showing they were granted licenses. However, the ministry’s records show the pair have not surrendered or transferred their license for that area. Quemue’s license remains active. Berrian’s license is yet to be reactivated after renewal in April, a Liberia Revenue Authority receipt shows. Efforts to interview Quemue were unsuccessful, as The DayLight did not get her phone number.
‘Stupid’ and ‘Foolish’
Gbarquoita’s negotiation with the unidentified company violates the Community Rights Law… that created community forestry. The town is one of six that own the Bondi Mandingo Forest.
A letter from Gbarquoita to artisanal miners who have claims in the Bondi Mandingo Forest
Bondi Mandingo was authorized by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) in 2018. Covering 37,222 hectares, and has been under contract with Indo Africa Plantation Liberia Limited ever since. However, the Singaporean loggers abandoned the contract.
Gbarquoita is exploiting the contract’s failure with the signing of the MoU—unapologetically.
“We are happy because we have been suffering for long,” said Habakkuk Jallah, the Town Chief of Gbarpquoita.
“Since the government of Liberia built a clinic for us over five to six years ago, there have not been medicines at the clinic. The company is now going to put medicine there…,” Jallah added. He said the MoU with the miners mandates them to provide hand pumps and 150 solar lights. Efforts to get the MoU did not materialize.
But the Community Rights Law does not give the Gbarquoita the right to unilaterally negotiate a contract. That power solely lies in the hands of Bondi Mandingo’s community forest management body (CFMB).
L-R: Mark Dennis, the chief officer of the Bondi Mandingo Forest, and Habakkuk Jallah, the Town Chief of Gbarquoita. The DayLight/Esau J. Farr
Mark Dennis, the chief officer of the CFMB, told The DayLight the company prevented them from entering the forest.
“We made our way through there to see the level of destruction that was done,” Dennis said of the February incident. “When we got there, they chased us [out] with their machine.”
Not long after his ordeal, the leadership of the Bondi Mandingo sued the illegal miners. The lawsuit alleges the miners threatened to “teach” Dennis and co “a lesson,” calling them “stupid” and “foolish.”
Charges the miners face include criminal trespass, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, filings of the Bopolu City Magisterial Court show.
The lawsuit requests US$500,000 for alleged damages to forest resources. It cites one Isaac and another man only identified as Sao and all of the company’s operators as defendants.
The men were arrested but released on bail, according to court records.
The case commences on Wednesday.
The United States Embassy in Monrovia funded this story. The DayLight maintained editorial independence over the story’s content.
Top: Gbanakao Creek near Bao Chico’s mine. The DayLight/Derick Snyder
By Esau J. Farr
COMPOUND-SU, Gbarpolu County – Bao Chico has polluted water sources in landowning communities, depriving locals of safe drinking water, a DayLight investigation found.
A team of DayLight reporters recently visited the operational areas of the Chinese-owned company and photographed creeks that are no longer safe for drinking.
Two major creeks, Mazine and Gbanakao, have all changed colors with greenish, brownish and blueish looks from remnants from Bao Chico’s mining activities.
“This water, we used to drink it, but we can’t drink it now [because of Bao Chico’s operation],” said Salamah
Dukuly, owner of the Dukuly Village near Compound-Su.
“Because of that, we are forced to carry drinking water from the town to the farm,” said Zoe Freeman, another Compound-Su resident.
DayLight saw a tributary of the Gbanakao Creek backfilled on the right side of a Bao Chico mine to clear it for mining and road pavement to transport ore to a plant. Reporters filmed dying vegetation at one of the polluted creeks nearby.
“When they [used to] get ready, the machine [would] just push [dirt] straight into the creek, thereby polluting the water,” said Sampson Lamah, spokesperson of the affected communities.
Bao Chico promised in a meeting with villagers to construct a handpump in each of the 32 affected communities, according to locals. However, only two hand pumps have been erected of which one is functional, the investigation found.
Bao Chico mining activities have polluted Mazine, one of a few creeks used for drinking in landowning communities affected by the company’s operations. The DayLight/James Giahyue
Edwin Darju, the liaison officer of Bao Chico, admitted to the pollution of the creeks but denied the presence of any chemicals.
“I am not a technical person, but what I do know is there was a physical pollution and not chemical pollution,” Darju said.
That statement runs contrary to the facts because the company uses chemical explosives. Normally, residuals of mine explosions go downstream, polluting and poisoning waterways, experts say.
Bao Chico explosions throw large rocks into communities, according to locals. The DayLight/James Giahyue
Ammonium nitrate, dynamite and emulsion explosives are the commonly used chemicals for blasting by mining companies, all of which have negative effects on soil and the public. They are responsible for the overgrowth of algae, which depletes oxygen in water and harms water species.
Bao Chico signed an agreement with the Liberian government in 2022 to mine iron ore on 87.4 square kilometers in the Suhen Mecca District of Bomi and the Bopolu District.
It began polluting creeks from the beginning of its operations, sparking protests.
Blasting
The noise from the blasting and rock particles it produces also negatively affects the communities.
Zoe Freeman, a resident of Compound-Su, fainted after a mine explosion last year. The DayLight/James Giahyue
Last year, Freeman, the resident from Compound-Su, fainted during a round of explosions. Bao Chico had not informed the community it would conduct blasts that day. Freeman was later taken to the Emirates Hospital in Bopolu, where she was treated and discharged, doctors at the hospital said.
As a result of that incident, the company runs public service announcements on the radio at least two days before an explosion procedure.
“The Monrovia-Bopolu and Bomi-Bopolu roads in the blasting area will be temporarily closed and Bopolu police will maintain order and the closure time will last for 30 minutes,” an excerpt of a January announcement read.
The mine blasting, which takes place between 10 am and 5 pm, stalls the movement of people and farming activities.
But it is the air pollution it produces that affects residents most.
“[People] can get sick here because of the odor from the chemicals used,” said Peter Paye, Town Chief of Compound-Su. Paye listed common cold, headache, diarrhea high blood pressure, and breathing difficulty, a claim DayLight could not independently verify.
The DayLight’s team of reporters also filmed cracked buildings and walls in Compound-Su and Baabu-Ta.
“The mud houses can’t stand the vibration,” said Kai Sirleaf, the Town Chief of Baabu-Ta.
These forms of pollution violate Bao Chico’s mining agreement with the Liberian government. It contains provisions that the company should abide by environmental health and safety guidelines in line with the World Bank’s standards.
An elevated view of Bao Chico’s plant. The DayLight/Derick Snyder
For instance, the World Bank’s standards call for waste dumps to be planned, designed and operated to manage environmental impacts. A recent DayLight investigation found Bao Chico was noncompliant with several levels of workplace safety standards.
Villagers are also concerned about the danger the blasting poses to their safety. Rock particles from the blasting spread across towns and villages causing fear among locals.
“We want to find means to move from here because, each time they want to blast, they will say you’ll move from here and go to the other side,” Salamah Dukuly of Dukuly Village said.
“My life is under threat. We should move from here,” said Dukuly. DayLight was not able to get the relocation plan of the company for locals residing in its concessional area.
Contractors at the company don’t have proper protective gear and there are no established health and safety committees, a violation of the labor and mining laws of Liberia.
The DayLight did not get comments from Bao Chico despite text messages and phone calls to the company’s manager, who was only identified as Mr. Lee.
Lee answered several calls placed to him, speaking English. However, he later pretended not to understand the language when this reporter introduced himself.
A Bao Chico mine. The DayLight/James Giahyue
The United States Embassy in Monrovia provided funding for this story. The DayLight maintained editorial independence over its content.
Top: The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) permitted West Water Group (Liberia) to export 797 logs in March. However, over half of the consignment was illegally harvested. The DayLight/Derick Snyder
By James Harding Giahyue and Derick Snyder
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth part of a series on the Forestry Development Authority’s approval of illegal timber exports.
In February, the FDA’s log-tracking computer LiberTrace red-flagged 413 logs in West Water’s consignment with multiple problems. Yet the Forestry Development Authority ignored the warnings and approved the shipment.
The FDA dismisses DayLight’s initial investigation of the illegal export as an “intentional misinterpretation” of the facts
But DayLight traced some of the illegal logs back to the stumps of the trees from which they were harvested, supporting LiberTrace’s findings
A relook at the LiberTrace analysis found several discrepancies, indicating a cover-up
Last year, West Water did not have a valid harvesting certificate, FDA’s records reveal
The illegal approval reduced government taxes on the logs and encouraged unsustainable logging and impunity
GAYEPUEWHOE TOWN, Grand Bassa County – Last month, a DayLight investigation uncovered the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) approved the export of 797 logs (4,702.679 cubic meters) valued at an estimated US$1 million for a company.
The investigation was based on an analysis of the consignment generated by the FDA log-tracking computer system or LiberTrace. The report cited a screenshot of LiberTrace’s history of West Water Group (Liberia) Inc.’s logs.
Details of the red-flagged logs appeared on the export permit and a National Port Authority document. That proved the FDA did not ensure West Water corrected the issues LiberTrace raised before sanctioning the export.
West Water had harvested the logs in the District Three B&C Community Forest in Grand Bassa County, where the Chinese-owned company has a 15-year logging contract with villagers. The logs were loaded on the MV Tropical Star, a cargo ship that left Liberia on March 16 and arrived in China on May 26, according to the vessel information provider Marine Traffic. Satellite images show cranes offloading the logs.
The second part of this series found that West Water owed the community forests in Bassa and another in Nimba over US$100,000, a violation of a payment regulation.
The FDA dismissed the investigation, calling it an “intentional misinterpretation” of the facts, and an alleged smear campaign.
But additional evidence gathered from three visits to the forest and interviews with villagers knowledgeable about West Water’s operations corroborates the first investigation. Also, a relook at the LiberTrace analysis and other documents provided additional clues.
The DayLight traced several of the problematic logs to the stumps of trees from which they were harvested, using identification tags from the LiberTrace document. Once reporters matched the tag of red-flagged logs in the document to stumps, they measured the corresponding stumps with a tape rule, videotaping the process.
For instance, reporters traced one tree tagged “AF402RXT” that was red-flagged for multiple problems, including its size. When the reporters measured it, the reporters found the diameter of the tree was 65 centimeters. That is 10 centimeters less than the figure on the export permit and 15 centimeters less than the FDA-approved size for that species, dahoma (Piptadeniastrum africanum).
‘We will be the loser’
Unlike the tree stumps, reporters faced no difficulty in finding other pieces of evidence of undersized logs. A sea of immature logs with West Water tags decorated the forest and the roads leading to it.
A stump of one of the logs LiberTrace red-flagged for being unauthorizedly felled, undersized and other things. The DayLight/Emmanuel Sherman
Villagers, including those knowledgeable about West Water’s operation, said undersized logs were a normal thing there.
“I saw many trees that did not reach the complete diameter and they harvested them,” said Isaac Doe, a villager and an ex-West Water worker.
“If they keep cutting the under-diameter trees, we will set up [a] roadblock and stop them,” said Isaac Jimmy, an elder of that region.
“We will be the loser when they continue felling young trees,” added James Kawee, one of the community forest leaders.
Evidence of undersized logs lay bare in the forest but hid in plain sight in the LiberTrace analysis. When reporters took a closer look at the document, they made a stunning discovery.
Of the 413 problematic logs, 217 were below their harvesting sizes, known in forestry as the diameter cut limit. A total of 266 had been harvested without the FDA’s approval, the sources of 46 logs were unknown, and 55 had no GPS coordinates for tracking purposes. Each log had multiple legality issues.
All of the problematic logs were harvested in two weeks between late January and mid-February, during the post-elections transition.
There were five rounds of harvesting. The first occurred on January 29 with a mammoth 251 logs. It was followed the next day with 11 and the day after 25. Harvesting resumed on February 12 with 106 logs and the following day with 10.
Some villagers said they witnessed West Water felled and transported the wood at night. Their accounts are consistent with LiberTrace, which shows some felling occurred between 8 pm and 9 pm.
“I want the government to implement their rules and regulations to stop them,” said John Flomo, an elder in Paygar Town, one of 14 towns and villages that own the forest.
Reporters filmed West Water trucks transporting logs at night on a major route during their third visit to the forest. FDA’s regulation on timber traceability prohibits nightly transport of logs on public roads. West Water did not respond to queries for comments on this story.
Undersized logs adorned West Water’s contract area of the District Three B&C Community Forest in Grand Bassa County. The DayLight/Emmanuel Sherman
LiberTrace is a crucial component of timber traceability or the chain of custody system. Meant to prevent illegal wood from entering domestic and international markets, the system traces logs from their origins to their final destinations. The European Union and the United Kingdom funded LiberTrace.
But that was not all the evidence The DayLight gathered. The investigation found that West Water did not have a harvesting certificate when the felling took place. The one Merab shared with The DayLight was not signed by then Managing Director Mike Doryen or a deputy.
The invalid certificate ran from March to September last year and the valid one runs for the same period this year. Once more, this proves that all 413 logs West Water harvested in January and February this year were illegal, even by the FDA’s lowered standards.
A portion of the District Three B&C Community Forest in Wee District, Grand Bassa County. The DayLight/Philip Quwebin
That likely explains why LiberTrace red-flagged the dates all the 413 problematic logs were felled. It also appears to explain why the FDA’s legality verification department (LVD) provided a flawed breakdown of LiberTrace’s warnings.
“Out of 797 logs, 50 percent are traceable with red label because of diameter…,” Gertrude Nyaley, the Deputy Managing Director for Operations, who was the technical manager of LVD at the time of the export, handwrote the document.
“Based on the above results, we recommend that West Water… export permit be issued.”
Nyaley reduced the magnitude of the issues LiberTrace highlighted. The computer had listed up to 13 legality issues with the logs, including unauthorized harvesting.
The LiberTrace screenshot of the logs’ history shows West Water requested the export several hours before conducting the last harvesting.
Christian Barh, an LVD staff, rejected the request on February 19, 2024, by 3:03 PM, citing “major traceability errors.”
From L-R: FDA Managing Director Rudolph Merab approved the illegal timber, based on Deputy Managing Director Gertrude Nyaley’s advice. The DayLight/Harry Browne
The next day, Barh accepted the request and passed it on to Theodore Nna, SGS’ forestry project manager. SGS is a Swiss verification firm that built and powers LiberTrace. Nna okayed the request less than 48 hours later. Rudolph Merab would approve the illegal export in one of his first acts as the Managing Director of the FDA.
Nna flouted SGS’ sustainability standards by endorsing the export. The standards ensure traders and users that the timber they trade or use comes from sustainably managed forests, according to SGS’ website. Nna did not respond to emailed queries for comment on this story.
Cover-up exposed
Merab claims the errors and warnings were usual, and that some of them were corrected. “After log yard verification and physical scaling, the log will be exported,” Merab told The DayLight in a letter. “It’s a normal occurrence and we are open to [verifying] such an occurrence with you the DayLight.”
Those comments are not backed by facts. The export permit spec, which details the information on each log in the consignment, shows the issues were never fixed.
“[Merab’s] explanation is in line with the SOP but in contradiction of the action on the export permit approved,” one chain of custody expert, who prefers anonymity over fear of retribution, said.
“If and only if measures were taken to do the timber yard correction, this action could not reflect in the approved export permit.”
The expert was referencing LVD’s standard operating procedures (SOPs), which require errors corrected at different levels, not only during export. For instance, the FDA’s felling SOP requires LVD to ensure a company corrects any errors LiberTrace catches upon felling.
The FDA’s records show West Water exported more logs than it producedWest Water’s current harvesting certificateA purported West Water harvesting certificate for 2023 A West Water document with conflicting dates
Several documents the FDA provided contain inconsistencies, suggesting they were forged as part of an all-around cover-up.
One document is dated 2019 and 2024, listing Nyaley as head of LVD. Nyaley was the technical manager of the community forestry department that year, appointed to LVD in 2022. And West Water did not have a contract in Grand Bassa or anywhere in 2019, at least not a direct one.
Another document puts West Water’s export (3,275 logs) above its production (2,782). That is a difference of 493 logs.
Unlike for the initial investigation, Merab did not respond to The DayLight’s queries for comments on this story. He did not grant the newspaper’s access to West Water’s contract and harvesting maps, guaranteed under various legal provisions. The FDA had said it would not return future questions from DayLight regarding export permits.
A screenshot of LiberTrace’s history of the 797 logs shows the FDA some of the trees were still standing when West Water requested to export them. It took the FDA’s legality verification department less than 48 hours to approve the request after rejecting it over “major traceability errors.”
By approving the export, the FDA violated its laws.
Cutting trees without authorization and harvesting undersized logs constitute a fine per the FDA’s confiscated logs regulation. A violating company faces a fine of two times the value of the illegal logs and a public auctioning of the wood. That means West Water would have paid more revenue for the March export.
Jonathan Yiah, the lead forestry campaigner at the Sustainable Development Institute, criticized the FDA for not confiscating the logs and undermining LiberTrace’s credibility.
“Focusing on enforcement,” Yiah said, “will demonstrate and ensure both revenue generation and sustainable management and harvesting of our forest resources.”
[Emmanuel Sherman and Philip Quwebin contributed to this report]
The story was a production of the Community of Forest and Environmental Journalists of Liberia (CoFEJ).
Top: Garmai Kennedy, Lofa County Accountant, llegally collects L$1,000 from each truck transporting planks within and out of Lofa County. The DayLight/Mason Kollie
By Mason Kollie
VOINJAMA, Lofa County – In August last year, the Superintendent of Lofa County William Tamba Kamba abolished an illegal fee he imposed on planks leaving the northwestern county following a DayLight investigation.
Kamba had accepted that the collection was illegal.
“We stopped the toll collection [because] the county council comprising of representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, [the Ministry of Internal Affairs], CSOs, and the youths did not approve [it],” said Kamba then.
Yet, a few months after Kamba’s admission, Garmai Kennedy, Lofa County’s accountant, reintroduced the illegal toll system.
Like under Kamba, plank dealers pay Kennedy L$1,000 for a truckload of planks transported within and out of the county, receipts of the transactions show.
“As long you are taking wood from Voinjama to Monrovia, you need to pay the Superintendent fee…, which I did two weeks ago,” Vesselee Lakpawolo, a plank dealer, said.
“I sent wood in town [recently] to my brother. I paid for the Superintendent fee to Garmai Kennedy, the accountant of the county,” Lakpawolo added, brandishing a receipt.
Lofa County Accountant Garmai Kennedy writes a receipt for a plank dealer at a carpenter shop in Voinjama. The DayLight/Mason Kollie
Plank dealers pay the fees directly to Kennedy, who gives them a receipt. She collects the fees at her home, in the streets of Voinjama and at the city’s checkpoint. One picture shows Kennedy writing a receipt to a dealer at a carpenter shop.
Kennedy has refused to account for the funds she has received, saying the money was for office use. “We have to buy [a] new flag, and facilitate some senior staff’s movements around the county,” she said.
Kennedy has been a cornerstone of the illegal plank toll in Lofa. During Kamba’s administration, she was responsible for collecting fees from all parts of the county, documents show.
A receipt The DayLight obtained in 2022 as part of another investigation revealed she received L$53,125 from a toll agent in Vahun. Kamba had introduced the illegal payment scheme in Vahun, following a leadership issue there before duplicating it throughout Lofa.
A 2019 document shows that she made several disbursements from fees collected from chainsaw millers in Foya.
County authorities collecting fees on plank goes against the practices of chainsaw milling, even in its unregulated state.
A man head carries planks in a forest in Kpasagizia, Lofa County in 2022. The DayLight/James Harding Giahyue
Local plank production or chainsaw milling began after the Second Liberian Civil War (1998-2003). It is the sole distributor of planks to domestic markets, with an estimated value between US$30 million and US$41 million, according to a 2017 report.
However, chainsaw milling has been unregulated since its emergence. Chainsaw millers get their wood by negotiating with forest owners in rural communities through verbal agreements. They pay the Forestry Development Authority (FDA)US$.60 per plank.
The Chainsaw Milling Regulation, completed by the FDA in 2022 and is yet to be enforced, recognizes community and FDA payments, but not the Office of the Superintendent.
Acting Superintendent Forkpa Roberts claims the toll collection is legal, citing a law. “Under the Local Governance Law (Act), the county authority has the right to generate revenue on [its] own,” Roberts told The DayLight.
Roberts’ claim is incorrect. The Local Government Act does not give superintendents or their staff any power to levy fees on any good. That power lies solely in the county council, a group that comprises chiefs, the youths, and the disabled community.
A county council has not been formed in Lofa, and superintendents or their staff are not members of the body, according to the law.
That was the same wrong claim Kamba made to defend the illegal toll system before admitting it was unlawful.
This story was a production of the Community of Forest and Environmental Journalists (CoFEJ).
Top: A West Water skidder in District Three B&C Community Forest in Grand Bassa County. The DayLight/Philip Quwebin
By Emmanuel Sherman and Gerald Koinyeneh
Editor’s Note: This is the third part of a series on the Forestry Development Authority’s approval of illegal timber exports.
TONWEIN, Nimba and GAYEPUEWHOE, Grand Bassa – The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) authorized a company to cut thousands of logs. However, it did not execute its social agreement with communities, violating a harvesting regulation.
West Water Group (Liberia) Inc. has operated in Blinlon and District Three B&C Community Forests in Nimba and Grand Basaa, respectively. During this time, it harvested 2,782 logs (20,095 cubic meters), according to the FDA.
But West Water has completed just a few out of dozens of mandatory projects for the communities, a DayLight investigation found.
“We will make sure they do that. I just want our people to be patient because these projects have been overdue,” said Eric Dahn, a leader of Blinlon’s community forest leadership.
“So, if it causes us to stop the company from operating until they fulfill all the promises, we will do it,” Dahn added.
This investigation adds to another published earlier this month, which found the FDA violated a payment regulation by approving West Water’s exports amid its indebtedness to the communities. Both payment and harvesting regulations empower local communities to benefit from forest resources.
The villagers’ plight had been thrust into the spotlight after an initial DayLight investigation found the FDA approved the export of West Water’s illegally harvested timber in District Three B&C.
West Water did not respond to questions for comment.
Failed promises
In 2020, West Water, a Chinese-owned company, signed a 15-year contract with Blinlon Community Forest for its 39,409 hectares of forestland in the Yarweh-Mehnsonneh District near the Nimba- River Cess border.
A West Water camp in Tonwein, Nimba County. The DayLight/Gerald Koinyeneh
The company promised the villagers a series of projects across Blinlon including a school, clinic, handpumps, roads and concrete bridges.
Nearly four years on, West Water has only done two out of 14 handpumps and has just started paving mandatory roads, which should have happened at the beginning of the contract. It has not done the school and clinic, which should have commenced in 2021, according to the contract.
The company only jumpstarted the roads after townspeople protested, blocking its workers from entering the forest in March. Both parties later resolved on March 5 to end hostilities.
“We will make sure they fulfill all the promises,” added Dahn.
Protest and Interference
The tension in District Three B&C Community Forest in Grand Bassa is higher. It mirrors a string of controversies, which have marred the community since it obtained community forest status in 2014. (communities own forestlands but must complete legal requirements to sign logging contracts)
At that time, the community forest contracted Renew Forestry Group to operate its 49,728 hectares of forest on the border of Grand Bassa, River Cess and Nimba.
However, a conflict erupted. The forest leadership recognized Renew Forestry Group, while the local and county authorities sided with West Water.
Then in 2021, West Water signed a 15-year contract with District Three B&C Community Forest of 24,175 hectares of woodland. The company promised to build roads, concrete bridges, a clinic, a school, market tables, town halls and hand pumps.
Like its Blinlon contract, West Water has not lived up to its contract with District Three B&C. It has completed just one out of eight hand pumps, while villagers drink from polluted creeks. Three years into the agreement, it has not done the major roads, bridges, clinics, town halls and market tables. According to the contract, most of these projects should have been completed in two years.
“West Water is not doing anything good for us,” Alex Bonwin, a member of the community leadership said. “If the company is not doing what they’re supposed to do we revoke their document to get out.”
West Water’s failure to honor the contract has led to tension, with three protests already this year. In the latest one, which occurred last week, townspeople stopped seven log-loaded trucks from leaving the community.
Alfred Flomo, the representative of Grand Bassa Electoral District Four, where the community forest lies, interferes in the matter.
Gayepuewhoe Town is one of 14 communities that own the District Three B&C Community Forest. The DayLight/Emmanuel Sherman
In a May 12 meeting, Flomo asked the company to stay off the forest until it addressed issues the villagers raised, according to the meeting’s minutes seen by The Daylight. That was the second time he had taken such action.
Under the community forest law, lawmakers are members of the community assembly, the highest decision-maker, and the executive committee. However, they cannot unilaterally halt a company’s operations.
Flomo and the townspeople’s actions also violate the contract between West Water and the community. Both parties agreed to settle their dispute between themselves or through an arbitration procedure. Flomo did not reply to The DayLight’s emails and text messages for an interview.
The FDA did not respond to queries for comment on this story. However, in a recent interview, Director Rudolph Merab told the Associated Press he would work to scale back regulations. Those comments echoed ones he made during his induction in February, saying forestry reformers created laws “that cannot work.”
[Additional reporting by Philip Quwebin and Derick Snyder]
This story was a production of the Community of Forest and Environmental Journalists of Liberia (CoFEJ).
Top: Z&C rock quarry, located 258 meters outside its license area, produces dust that covers everything in Harrisburg. The DayLight/Derick Snyder
By Harry N. Browne and Derick Snyder
HARRISBURG – Before the miners came to quarry rocks, Harrisburg, founded in 1841 by returned free slaves from the United States, was one of the quietest and most beautiful places in Liberia.
“Harrisburg was fine. The plants used to grow fine. When you plant potato greens, it grows fine. If you plant cassava it grows fine. The creeks were fine,” Yatta Taylor, a resident, said.
By 2012, everything began to change after Z&C Investment Company arrived. It had acquired a license to quarry rocks in this Rural Montserrado township along the St. Paul River.
In the last 12 years of Z&C’s operations, a cloud of dust the quarry produces has grayed the once pristine landscape. The resultant sound of rock explosion and crushing replaces the township’s quietude.
“The dust is suffering us here, it takes over all the crops and plants that we planted,” Taylor, who lives less than 500 meters away from the plant, told The DayLight.
“When we harvest the potato greens or cassava leaf to cook it, you have to wash it more than five times before cutting or [pounding] it to cook,” she added.
The plant operates nearly 24 hours a day, crushing rocks. Between January 2022 and April last year, it produced 126,000 cubic yards of rocks, according to an environmental audit approved by the EPA.
The environmental audit is contradictory. In its summary findings, it was inconclusive whether Z&C prevented water and air pollution in Harrisburg. However, in the details of the findings, it was conclusive that Z&C prevented water and air pollution.
Conclusive or inclusive, the report also contradicts a University of Liberia laboratory testing on Harrisburg’s water. The test shows the levels of chemicals, including phosphate, iron and manganese, were above their accepted levels. Manganese, for instance, can cause problems with memory, attention and muscle movements.
Ansumana Environmental Consultancy Inc., the Paynesville firm that conducted the audit, did not respond to queries for comment.
But satellite images and evidence of pollution reporters gathered are consistent and contradict the environmental audit report’s findings.
The images from Google Earth, which provides a three-dimensional representation of the planet, reveal that Z&C’s quarry plant operates outside its license area. The Chinese-owned company initially obtained its license in 2012, covering 50 acres of land. However, the images show that the quarry plant is at least 258 meters outside its license area.
Up: A satellite image shows Harrisburg’s green landscape before Z&C Investment Corporation arrived in 2012. Here: A satellite image shows rock mining and quarrying changed the landscape 11 years later. Picture credit: Google Earth
Z&C did not grant The DayLight’s request for an interview.
‘Can’t sleep’
Reporters filmed a huge cloud of dust released into the air and the St. Paul River nearby. Earthmovers, which Z&C’s workers used to transfer and transport crushed rocks, create dust. Noise from those activities and the quarrying plant pierced throughout the township.
Generally, a rock quarry plant produces noise pollution up to 116 decibels, according to a 2015 study. Noise pollution is any unwanted sound that affects the health and well-being of humans, according to scientists. Sound leads to noise when it exceeds more than 85 decibels.
Noise pollution leads to some serious health issues, scientists say. It leads to hearing impairment heart problems, sleep issues, heart blood pressure, and poorer work and school performance. It affects every person but the worst of them are children.
The study found that trucks produce up to 114 decibels, shovels and bulldozers 103 decibels and 116 decibels, respectively, while the grader produces 105 decibels.
“We cannot sleep when Z&C Investment Company say that they are ready to work for true…we can’t sleep,” Sarah Swaray, the chairlady of Harrisburg, said.
Z&C Investment Company’s quarry produces a cloud of gray dust, which spreads throughout Harrisburg. The DayLight/Harry Browne
Swaray said at least five trucks moved in and out of Z&C’s operational area during the day.
Z&C begins daily explosions in the early morning hours, with earthmovers drilling holes into the mine. Then ammonium nitrate, a powerful explosive, is placed in the hole and ignited. The company’s blasting site is in Joe Ricks Town, about three minutes from Swaray’s home. The two other most affected communities are the Fire Point and Displaced Camp.
Blasting
A decade of Z&C blasting has left a huge open pit in Harrisburg. Elevated images show the pit gets deeper and wider, with three layers of digging.
The environmental audit found between January 2022 and April last year, Z&C used 1,423 bags of ammonium nitrate, which releases toxic gases—nitrogen oxide and ammonia gas—into the air.
Residents have raised their concerns for the safety of their children and the health of people in the community.
A mining pit has formed after more than years of Z&C operations in Harrisburg. The DayLight/Harry Browne
“Anytime Z&C [does]… blasting, the rocks fall over [the roofs of our houses]. When you check around this environment, you can see that many houses are cracked around here,” Prince Mitchell, a youth, said.
“The scent from the chemical affects us,” Thomas Ricks, a resident of Joe Ricks Town, said. “I do suffer from fresh cool, though no one has come up to say that it is from the dust.”
Dried, muddy creeks
Clearing the mine for explosions has led to the pollution of the creeks in Harrisburg. The Daylight reporters filmed earthmovers backfilling a valley through which a nearby stream flows.
The creeks in Harrisburg were a source of livelihood for many years. People used them for washing, cooking, drinking and other things. Now, no one uses them anymore. Other creeks have dried up.
Sarah Swaray, Chairlady of Harrisburg. The DayLight/Harry Browne
“They have closed the creeks that we normally drink from. They have spoiled everything,” said Kool J. Manyago, a resident.
The vibration from the explosions is also a worry for residents and their residencies. Many homes have developed major cracks due to the heavy blasting. Some of the cracks run from the roof to the floor of buildings.
As a result of the explosion and vibration, a family abandoned their home. They used to live close to mine, according to residents in the area. The house built from earth bricks finally fell to the ground. Debris of the home that are still visible among a bush.
“I am thinking in times to come what will become of [the pit they have dug here],” Elizabeth Kerkula, another resident said. Will the company be able to cover that hole? Will it be safe for others that will be living here…?
“I want the government to look at it.”
[Derick Snyder, Matenneh Keita and Charles Gbayor contributed to this report]
The United States Embassy provided funding for this story. The DayLight maintained editorial independence over the story’s content.
Top: A man on a motorcycle and the police in Sinkor. The DayLight/Harry Browne
By Elchico M. Fawundu
I took a detour from Oldroad (Kailondo Junction) and hit Tubman Boulevard in full view heading to Congo town. While the road stretched out its receiving arms, I received a phone call from a pal. I took the phone and held it on a loudspeaker so that I could at the same, embrace the road. Almost immediately that affection seemed uncomfortable as I witnessed two motorcycles collision which instantaneously left one rider motionless at Catholic Junction.
I hastened to cut off my phone as this was almost like a motion picture in foreplay. The disoriented motorcyclist struggled to collect his counterpart who had passed out as though he was in an enchanted sleep and the passengers tried to recollect their possessions or at least what they could find. Then and there, I realized the magnitude of motorcycle accidents.
In all fairness, I must admit I have witnessed my fair share of motorcyclists always tumbling in front of my vehicle and the riders politely gathering themselves up but this was the first of its kind.
Seemingly, The Liberia National Police (LNP) in its new regulation to uphold public safety with emphasis on Road safety has caused quite a stir for bike riders, especially the regulation that deals with riders wearing protective gear (reflectors, helmets, driver’s licenses and insurance).
Basically, the ruckus has largely been due to poor or little public assumptions on the unceremonious request rather than the conventional usage of those gears.
The public mixed reactions are attributed to a lack of education and the unaccustomed use of those gears. However, some tangential and hygienic concerns have been raised.
Statistically, research conducted by Front Page Africa in its article: Liberia: 139 Die in Road accidents from January to September 2022, states that motorcycle-to-motorcycle deaths stand at 169, motorcycle car is 399, motorcycle-to-pedestrian is 116 and tricycle to motorcycle is 39, respectively.
It can also be emphasized that the supra stats notably recognize just three-quarters of a particular year and at the same time, leave out all fatal and minor associated injuries.
The need to address this public safety hazard cannot be overemphasized.
Interestingly, the new regulation has triggered the tease in most quarters, too much to some bemusement and too little to some annoyance. This may have stemmed from the unhabitual practice and its adverse effects.
Besides, the fact that Monrovia, if not Liberia has few traffic indicators which help in mitigating road hazards and helping in regulating traffic flow, many find the regulation meaningless.
Many equally find the regulation handy and timely as the impact of motorcycle accidents has large and lasting effects on its victims (both the driver and rider).
The center of commotion has up to this point been the hygienic and limited transportation aspects.
Transportation in our country has been a challenge in comparison. There is no statistical evidence available to point out the amount of vehicle to a person(s) and the last unofficial report from NTA placed public transportation at 2 poorly refurbished buses taken over from the past government. (OK FM, Morning Rush)
Thus, leading to a hike in Commercial motorcycles; there isn’t any at hand stat on the amount of motorcycles in circulation but it has proven convenient for students and commuters, especially in the early hours of the day and late hours of the night.
Conversely, riding motorcycles is more dangerous in general than other vehicles and this is because they don’t have safety features like airbags, or seatbelts, and riders are more vulnerable to a collision.
Many riders are keen on the final destination especially if the vehicle is unconventional order rather than the process of arriving safely. Comments on social media and radio reactions since the introduction have skyrocketed against the practice.
Hygienically, the risks of sharing a helmet can be identified as traction to the hair if it isn’t properly worn, exacerbates bacteria accumulation on the scalp surface and causes scalp infection if the inner lining (helmet) is unhygienic some of which are long-term effects. Furthermore, helmets if not the rightful size and/or model may result in discomfort, heat, restriction of vision hearing and hair damage; However, Helmets reduce the risk of serious brain injuries and death in the worst case during a fall and/or collision. It also absorbed shocks from impacts up to 250 pounds.
Realistically, there is far more work to be done by all parties involved, the Public, the hygiene and limited public transport while the LNP is concerned about public safety which in its essence is the overall protection of all parties (Motorcyclists and Riders) and some extent pedestrians, respectively.
Some mitigations would be to educate motorcyclists and riders on the safety of wearing protective gear and the reintroduction of street indicators with inclusive motorcycle indicators and also encourage the motorcyclists to buy some specific rider helmets (full face, open face and modular helmet) all of which result into different effects on riders( passengers).
This will help save the lives of many riders and at the same time, reach riders to final destinations in one piece.
Elchico M. Fawundu is an environmental science lecturer at Stella Maris Polytechnic University.
Top: Villagers work on a farm in Jorpolu Clan in Jorquelleh District, Bong County. The DayLight/Harry Browne
By Matenneh Keita
JORPOLU CLAN, Bong County – In 2019, one year after the Land Rights Act, people in a clan in Jorquelleh District, Bong County, declared their intention to acquire an ancestral land deed.
Jorpolu Clan declared its intention to obtain a deed, known as community self-identification. Then it set up a governance structure to oversee land matters. Now, people of the clan are cutting boundaries with neighboring clans to decide their land size.
But there is a problem. Jorpolu has four boundary disputes with the neighboring Behquelleh and Suakoko Clans. Under the law, communities own land on which their ancestors lived, farmed and hunted. However, they must resolve all their boundary disputes to be granted a title deed.
“We’re talking with [the neighboring clans] and they’re consenting to the discussion,” says Austin Leayne, the secretary for Jorpolu land leadership. “They all can come together for us to discuss the best way forward for everybody to live in peace and harmony.”
Initially, there were 22 boundary issues between the Jorpolu Clan and the adjacent clans. Eighteen have been resolved, with the balance of four issues outstanding. Of those four disputes, Jorpolu has three with Behquelleh and the other with Suakoko.
The first dispute in Behquelleh regards a town called Gbaota. The family of a deceased famous chief there is claiming about 10 acres of land.
The second is related to the first. The land the family claims runs through another town called Gowarmue. However, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been drafted for the disputing parties to sign, according to Josephus Blim, program officer with Parley Liberia. The NGO assists Jorpolu and other communities through the legal process of acquiring a customary land deed. Its work is part of a US$3.45 million project funded by the International Land and Forest Tenure Facility headquartered in Sweden.
Jorpolu landmass covers thousands of hectares of land, including forest. The DayLight/Charles Gbayor
“Those are just minute places,” Blim said. “I don’t think it would stop the customary process from going on.”
The third land dispute Jorpolu has with Behquelleh is over farmland between a town called Gbarney in Jorpolu and another town in Behquelleh called Kpanyan.
The people from Jorpolu who settled on the land want the land to stay under Jorpolu but a family in Behquelleh wants it to remain there.
Jorpolu’s dispute with Suakoko is the most major. It is a longstanding issue between the two clans over at least 150 acres of land along a creek.
The Woue Creek evenly divides both clans. It takes a deep curve between Gbenjema on the Jorpolu side and Galai on the Suakoko side.
Farmers in Gbenjema who crossed the creek to farm on the land are claiming it but the family of a late elder in Galai counterclaimed it.
“We have made a breakthrough in getting the heirs of the elder to reach a compromise with Jorpolu to resolve the dispute,” Blim said. He added relatives of the late elder attended a recent meeting Parley Liberia organized.
Once Jorpolu resolves all the disputes, the Liberia Land Authority is mandated to survey to confirm the clan’s land and give it a customary deed in line with the law.
Thirty-one communities across the Country lands have been surveyed, according to the Land Authority. About 22 communities have already been granted customary deeds, with Fessibu in Lofa the latest.
Martha Sheriff is a member of Jorpolu Community Land Development and Management Committee. The DayLight/Harry Browne
People in Jorpolu cannot wait to join the list.
“This land deed is very important to me because during those days women did not have the right to plant anything. Even to plant cocoa on your father’s land… your brothers would say, ‘You don’t have property here,’” says Martha Sheriff, a member of Jorpolu land leadership.
But now, I feel good because of the Land Rights Act that has given me the right to own land and plant cocoa, rubber, and other things on the land for me and my children’s future,” Sheriff added.
“My brothers can’t stop me.”
While a customary deed would solve the Sheriff’s familial problem, it promises enormous benefits for Jorpolu.
In 2021, Huiren Mining Inc., a mining firm, signed an MoU with few people in the clan and did not live up to it. Neither Jorpolu’s land leadership participated nor was it aware of the document.
Austin Leayne, the secretary of Jorpolu Company Land Development and Management Committee. The DayLight/Harry Browne
Following three years of heightening tension over social benefits, the Ministry of Mines and Energy recently halted Huiren’s operations. A meeting between the company and affected communities is scheduled for next month.
Johnson Kong-bai, the head of the Jorpolu land leadership, rues the marginalization. He believes Jorpolu possession of an ancestral deed will prevent such a thing, though communities are guaranteed customary ownership by the law.
“If I have my deed, I got the full right to go to the company and say, ‘This place you want to operate is my area,’” Kong-bai tells The DayLight. “‘Before you do anything here, you and I will have to sit and discuss what will be the community’ benefit.’”
