PLEASE READ ACCURATE STORY ABOUT THE QUARDU-GBONI DISTRICT DISAGREEMENT WITH LCC AND SAZANOR AGREEMENT SINCE 2010 BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION Today October 21, 2014 the citizens of Quardu-Gboni District gathered in the city of Voinjama to petition the President of the Republic of Liberia on our disagreement with the LCC contract signed between the government of Liberia and Mr. Momolu Dukuly Tolbert within the District. At the petition ceremony, the president refused to accept the Quardu-Gboni District citizen’s disagreement with the Liberia Cocoa Cooperation (LCC) the district citizens knowing fully, that the land mass required by this so called concession (6,000) hectares would automatically deprive us of our nativity; whereby, our survivability as citizens squarely relies on the fertile soil of the district. Also aware that a significant portion of Quardu-Gboni District, the Dengola Forest Reserved, is preserved under your community Forest Management Act and constitutes more than 65% of the total landscape of our District. We are convinced that, the citizens of Quardu-Gboni would resist any attempt to concession an inch of Quardu-Gboni District inheritance/the traditional land of our ancestors. We visited the LCC concession site to authenticate the School building built, Hand pump, modern Bridge, VIP latrine and farm to market road. But during our visited to the LCC concession site, we didn’t see any of the items/materials mentions above. That a six bedroom house in the name of so called school which photograph cover with bush. DURING OUR INVESTIGATION, WE DISCOVER THE FIRST DRAFT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITIZENS OF QUARDU-GBONI DISTRICT AND LCC AS FOLLOWS: THE REVIEW COMMITTEE ON THE DRAFT MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CHIEFS, CHIEFS, ELDER, AND PEOPLE OF QUARDU-GBONI DISTRICT AND LIBERIA COCOA CORPORATION (LCC). From: The LCC Draft MOU’S Review Committee To: Chairman, Chiefs and people of Quardu-Gboni District Lofa County Subject: REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION Date: January 25, 2014 On January 25, 2010 the report and recommendations from the Review Committee on the Draft memorandum of understanding between the chiefs, elder, and people of Quardu-Gboni District and Liberia Cocoa Corporation (LCC) written by citizens of Quardu-Gboni to Mr. Momolu Tolbert which stated as follows: We the member of the Reveiew committee, after carefully brainstorming on the draft LCC MOU for concession in Lofa County, particularly, in Quardu-Gboni District, we as committee members to wit: 1. Considering that in these days and time of technology, science, development and progress, it should be a part of wisdom and prudence for any patriotic citizens to involved in contributing to the orderly growth and development of citizens and District for the transformation of our region into a modern viable district which can be done only by citizens in collaboration with investors through production and investments. In view of the reasons indicated above, we most respectively and humbly put forward for the following recommendations to be considered for inclusion in the memorandum of understanding between Quardu-Gboni District and Liberia Cocoa Corporation (LCC) as part and activities of the LCC that will be conduct under the auspices of poverty reduction strategy’s Economic revitalization (PILLAR II). PROFILE • Our assessment on the profile of LCC indicated inadequate information provided by LCC therefore, adequate information on historical background and track record of the company be provided to the first party/Quardu-Gboni District such materials shall contain LCC portfolio, capacity, date of establishment and its organization structure. • Investment capital of LCC be made known in the draft MOU to the people of Quardu-Gboni District. METHOD OF OPERATION • The draft MOU relating to recruitment of staff under method of operation should be considers and prioritizes citizens of Quardu-Gboni District for position of Deputy chief Executive Officer for the plantation. LAND REQUIREMENT • The company plans to initially cultivate ten thousand (10,000) acres be reduce to five thousand (5,000) acres of land with additional five thousand (5,000) acres be cultivated through an out growers program (working directly with small holder farmer corporative. • Land will be negotiated and lease under concession term directly with local Chiefs and Elders.• Proposed concession/agreement term for land lease term of forty (40) years be reduce to twenty (20) years period LCC will pursue a legislative concession; such concession or agreement term be negotiated with local chiefs and Elders. • LCC ongoing brushing and nurseries activities are halted until all negotiation relating to land requirement are completed with the people of Quardu-Gboni District and government. • 2000 hectares of land instead of 4000 hectares be selected and surveyed to become a concession or production area on which second party’s Cocoa plantation will be established be operated under the agriculture concession agreement to be granted by the government of Liberia to second party. Title deed of the plantation area be in the name of Quardu-Gboni District durely signed by the Chiefs and Chief spokesman of Elder in the district. • Quardu-Gboni District / first party`s representation in MOU should be the Chiefs and Chiefs` spokesman of Elders only. • Compensation for cash crop trees found in the affected area is made to crops owners. The amount of such compensation be clearly defined in the MOU • The concession extension agreement after the first twenty (20) years be negotiated with parties concerned (Quardu-Gboni Disteict, LCC, and the government of Liberia). WITNESSETH A. second party/LCC should acknowledge and agreed in further appreciation of the cooperation of the chiefs, elders and people of the district in the MOU during the term of concession grand, rights, and benefits that will accrue to the chiefs, elders and the people Quardu-Gboni District under the concession agreement and form LCC that include construction of clinics, schools, employment preference, financing agriculture scholarship at under graduate level, housing for workers, construction of youths center, community hand pumps, community ventilated latrines (VIP), financing annual air passage for Muslim to Saudi Arabia for Hadji Pilgrimage, road construction, community development project, etc. should begin within the first two years of LCC, operation. B. The rights and benefits accrued to the people of Quardu-Gboni District from LCC should include construction of hospital, secondary or high schools. C. Numbers of Muslims faith to benefit finance of annual air passage to Saudi Arabia for Hadji Pilgrimage be increased to 20 persons. D. LCC should provide training facilitates for Quardu-Gboni citizens in the areas of nursing and teaching. E. For maximum human resource development particularly in the area of agriculture, number of students to benefit annual scholarship at undergraduate lever be increased to twenty (20) annually. F. Schools, clinics, and hospitals, built under the term of rights and benefits be maintained by LCC. G. Quardu-Gboni District being an Agriculture based community, the need for good roads need for good roads network cannot be over emphasized therefore, three (3) miles of farm, to market roads offered in the draft MOU under rights and benefits is inadequate, 40 to 50 miles roads maintenances and construction be offered in the MOU to be carry out in the District which should begin from Korlelah Town to Lukamai Town. H. Other social rights and benefits need to be reflected in the MOU are insurance, medical, retirement, leave, injury, and death benefits for LCC employees. I. In addition to rights and benefits for LCC to offered to the community is the allotment of percentage from its investment profit to the people of Quardu-Gboni District for social development. J. For the sake of commitment on the part of LCC to first party under the lease and concession agreements, is LCC be made to forgo its lease and concession rights accrue in the MOU if in breach of the contract/concession agreement reached with the community/Quardu-Gboni District and its people. In witness whereof, we the members of LCC draft review Committee have hereunto affixed our signatures on the 5th day of February 2010 in the city of Monrovia, Montserrado County. This was signed by the followings persons listed below: 1. Hon. Sekou Dolleh (Big Daddy)--------Chairman 2. Watta Massaley------------------------CO-Chairlady 3. Varsay S. Jawateh--------------------Secretary General 4. Alhaji Sekou Fofana -----------------Advisor 5. Kamo Ballo --------------------------Member 6. Mohammed Nyieh ------------------Member 7. Vafally M. Kamara-------------------Member 8. Mohammed Kamara----------------Member 9. Musa Korleh-------------------------Member 10. Jasah-Mohammed Dukuly---------Member 11. Aleehassan A. F. Ballo-------------Member All clan chiefs, sectional chief, town’s chiefs, chairladies, youth leaders, elders and the imam’s council met in Barkedu today to welcome the president and to express their dissatisfaction to the concession agreement signed between the government of Liberia and the Liberia Cocoa Cooperation lead by Criminal Momolu Dukuly Tolbert. The modern bridge in question build by Criminal Momolu Dukuly Tolbert (Photograph) above was for his so called equipments to access the farming land of Liberia Cocoa Cooperation not for developmental purposes. The six bedrooms building in the name of school for the agreement signed between Sazanor town and Momolu Tolbert for a 40 years period is a total disgrace and shamed on Tolbert and his so called LCC Company. On July 16, 2010 the citizens of Kanelah Town Quardu-Gboni District, “said we the citizens of Kanelah Township are hereby strongly opposed and disagreed with the land occupation by Sanzanor and Liberia Cocoa Corporation Company (LCC). Our opposition is mainly based on the limited farming land we have, and our population in the District is increasing very dramatically. They also said LCC is in-crushing on our land violently. On July 18, 2010 citizens of Karviedu, Mamiekonnedu and Nyamakadu said “we the citizens of these three towns are seriously informing you (Hon. Musa S. Kamara Paramount chief of Quardu-Gboni District) that we are not part of the LCC project in Sanzanor at all. Reasons: we were informed verbally that LCC wanted to operate within Quardu-Gboni District, but we were waiting to read the agreement and discuss how the work going to be done. To our surprised the company began to work up to now we don’t really understand at all. We understand that they are only care for Sanzanor. We are not part of Sanzanor agreement. We therefore, asking your honorable office to not sign any paper for one town on behave of Quardu-Gboni District; they also said don’t ever sign paper if the entire District is not satisfied or else you will be causing problem disunity, or confusion, and etc. On February 17, 2010 Mr. Mohammed S. Kamara Sazanor Spokesman by than wrote a PROTEST LETTER against the draft committee mentions above which stated that “we wish to inform other state holders including LCC representation, selected committee members traditional leaders that we have decided to reject the composition of the committee setup. This means we will not recognized the document they drafted until a new committee comprising (50-60%) resident of Voinjama and Quardu-Gboni District are included. Moreover the drafted MOU response should be reviewed and redrafted with few inputs from Lofa based stakeholders. We will not accept for our fate to be decided by Monrovia based residents who have less contact with primary beneficiaries. This protest letter was written to the District Commissioner of Quardu-Gboni District. On March 26, 2010 the Quardu-Gboni Mandingo Association in the Americas wrote to Hon. Mariamu Jallabeh, “said that we the citizens of the Quardu-Gboni District residing in the Americas wish to register to you and theough you to all concern our disapproval, disinterest and total opposition to a land-lease deal being master-minded by certain individuals purporting to imitate business venture in the District. We are overwhelmed by information that there is a land deal in process to lease a considerable portion of the district’s land by the Liberia Cocoa Corporation (LCC), to undertake plantation farming. It is also our information that certain individuals are masquerading as representing the people of the Quardu-Gboni District in the process of effecting the deal. Let it be emphatically cleared that the proposed deal is being viewed by us, the US-based Quardu-Gboni Citizens, as a form of exploitative venture purely intended to set limitation to our already insufficiently available arable land that should not, must not and cannot be given any credence. This was signed by Mr. Mohammed Jangai Kanneh President. Fallow Lofans and Liberians in general from our background investigation on the MOU between Sazanor and that of LCC have showing that since 2010 citizens of Quardu-Gboni District had been in disagreement with Mr. Momolu Dukuly Tolbert so called investment. All mentions documents above in disagreement with LCC and Sazanor MOU is in my precision written to the Paramount Chief of Quardu-Gboni District Hon. Musa S. Kamara. To our surprise On October 6, 2014 the Representative of District #4 of Lofa County Hon. Mariamu B. Fofana presented the Concession Agreement between the Government of Liberia and Liberia Cocoa Corporation which was signed by the following listed below: CONCESSION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA AND LIBERIA COCOA CORPORATION (LCC) This Concession Agreement (the “AGREEMENT”) is made and entered into this 6th day of May, 2014, by and between the REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA (“Liberia”) represented by the Minister of Agriculture, the Chairman of the National Investment Commission and the Minister of Finance and attested to by the Acting Minister of Justice (hereinafter referred to as (“GOVERNMENT”) and LIBERIA COCOA CORPORATION, a corporation duty organized under the laws of Liberia, represented by its President and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Momolu Dukuly Tolbert (hereinafter referred to as “INVESTOR”) Florence Chenoweth -------------------Minster of Agriculture Amara Konneh----------------------------Minister of Finance Michael S. Wotorson -----------------NIC Chairman Momolu Dukuly Tolbert -----------President & CEO Cllr. Wheatonia Y. Dixon—Acting Minister of Justice, R.L Attested H. E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf –President Republic of Liberia ---Approved on July 8, 2014 This Concession Agreement between the government and LCC was signed without any reference to the people of Quardu-Gboni District and Lofa County at large. We got to know about this concession agreement after the House of Senate endorsement and sent to the House of Representatives for Concurrence. After the submission of the concession agreement to the house of Senate, our two Senators ignored their duty of consultation with the Chiefs, Elders and the peaceful population of the Quardu-Gboni District that overwhelmingly voted the both Senator in the house of Senate. This is a total disrespect to the people of Quardu-Gboni District and Lofa County At Large. Under the Concession Agreement between the government and LCC 17.2 that has to do with Social Action Plan (SAP). Investor shall prepare and deliver to Government a Social Action Plan (the “SAP”) which must set forth reasonable procedures for the mitigation of any adverse impact, as well as making prevision for the continuing economic and social viability of centers of population that have formed and which may form as a result of Investor’s Activities during the Term of this Agreement. The SAP much included Resettlement Action Plan (“RAP”) component if communes located in or adjacent to each Production Action should resettled for Health or Safety Reasons or due to the taking of subsistence Agricultural Land. The RAP shall provide for, but not be limited to, suitable area(s) of resettlement with key emphasis on shelter and livelihood continuity, full compensation and obtaining informed consent. The SAP must be approved by the Government prior to undertaking, or concausig to be undertaken, any clearing, construction, or any other physical disturbance of the land or environment by the Investor. Government and LCC concession Agreement 17.3 Public Hearings and Community Consultations. Public hearings and Community Consultations in support of the ESIA, EMP, SAP, and applicable RAP shall be in accordance with the EPML, EIA Procedural Guidelines, and International Standards. The hearing and Community Consultations shall be publicized and conducted in accordance with generally applicable regulations. Investor must have held public hearings on the ESIA, EMP, and the SAP at least in Monrovia and in the County seals of each County in which Investor Activities are planned, and each of the ESIA, EMP, and SAP must include a statement of the means taken to publicize the hearing, an indication of the numbers of persons who attended such hearing and their affiliates, an indication of the numbers of persons who attended such hearings and their affiliates, a summary of the raised at such hearings, and a discussion of the actions taken by the Investor in response to such hearings. Investigation continue. 堑
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 20:27:32 +0000
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