One has to question the process of bidding for these lucrative concessions. Information obtained over a year ago indicated that a Chinese firm would win the Bong Mines bid. Watch this space - I'm prepared to bet a lot of money on China Union being the eventual winner, no matter what the contents of the bidding documents or findings of a due diligence process. Transparancy, due process, bla bla bla, total rubbish!!! And the outcome of the Western Cluster concession? How come the Government has been so conspicuous in its silence regarding this debacle? I bet an American company will eventually be awarded this concession, despite a so-called re-bidding process. Blackmail, bribery and bull, business as usual in Africa.... Can one have any faith in a supposedly "clean" democratic administration and it's institutions? The Inter-ministerial Mining Concessions Committee, The Puclic Procurement and Concessions Committee, the PPC act and the Presidency itself...? Sorry for the people of Liberia - with more of the same old in power, you are not likely to be led out of poverty by another administration which is comfortably lining the pockets of a few individuals. What a sad state of affairs - SHAME ON YOU!!!!!

I challenge the Government of Liberia and Madam President herself: Prove me wrong in claiming that external influence has played a role in the Western Cluster Iron Ore concession, resulting in the disqualification of two of the original bidders from the re-bidding process. This "external influence" was exerted by an American firm, currently involved in major investments in the country. Should this American company be the eventual winner of the Western Cluster Iron Ore concession, may that be proof that in fact this company, and perhaps not those previously involved in bidding (two of which were disqualified on alleged external influence and impropriety), that is corrupt.... WATCH THIS SPACE!!!

I challenge the Govenment of Liberia to prove me wrong: An American company, currently involved in investments in Liberia will ultimately be awarded the Western Cluster. Talk about "external influence" and "impropriety"...? I trust the media will pick up on this, and question the Government on this process. People of Liberia, watch this space, and you will see where the millions of dollars destined for your upliftment is ending up - in the pockets of a few select so-called leaders...

It seems to me that the writing,mikohansen, has a lot of information that needs to be exploited for the benefit of the public good. I can only hope that the Liberian Press is reading his article and digging to the bottom of the story. My tip to you is that you start with the writer -- mikohansen himself. I look forward to reading more about this in the next couple of days.

Liberia needs a brand new bread of leaders with vision and concern for the entire citizenry.

You can not put "old wine" into "new wineskin" and expect for everything to go well. Also unwise to put new wine into old wineskin.

We need to change those recycled so-called leaders. They are worthless and it is a shame. They will be most useful in a hard labor prison camp."Those American- educated petty thieves."

For all the many years leading to the Liberian civil crisis, our governments operated under imperial leadership and almost like a secret society. Information regarding governance was held from the public. In the 1970s and 80s, when I worked in government, I never recalled this level of transparency of information. Never did the governments at those times provide details into cntracts and public financial management. A holistic approach to allievating poverty was never front and center of government agenda. Hundreds of no-bid contracts were awarded to friends and foreign investors and the public never got to question or even hear of the contents and terms of those contracts. A few officials got rich at this expense and no one knew who they were and how they got rich. In fact those days, there were no investment contract negotiations that took into account socio-economic benefits to the local communities such as the monies that must be contributed to the development budgets of host counties. There were no open bidding processes at all. Today, detail information is made available to the general public and what do we hear from critics, nothing but inconstructive criticisms and inneundos. Would we prefer to return to the old days when government didn't feel obligated to public accountability? Lets go back to the times when the international community didn't want to have any dealings with us beacuse of a total lack of creditworthiness. We can return to the old days of no public information or we can begin to build-on a new order of accountability in Liberia. A new order that is not yet perfected since the Sirleaf administration took office. Owing to the fact that we have not had a long history of promoting transparency and accountablity in public service, this new order will take years to foster and will require all of us. A new order that will require legislation and commitment that first says accountability begins with each of us. My mother, an excellent educator always tells me, its easy to point out the flaws in others, but it is when we can take personal responsibility for our own actions that truely makes the world a better place. Criticism is good but it must be done within a context that is comparative and factual. Appreciating where we have come from while all the same, working towards improving where we are. In other words it must be constructive. Liberia will take many years to regain the economic strength it once had especialy in terms of foreign direct investment. However,this time we want this investment to benefit a lot more of the country's citizens. This is the difference--to make Liberia better than what it was during what some refer to as the "good old days". We want Liberia better than the good old days because were those days really good, we wouldn't be here trying to rebuild a more inclusive society in Liberia. This is the new order which I believe that needs to be built by everyone. A new Liberian pride and identity...one that places country and kinsmen first. With this new age of accountability and transparency, we as critics need to strengthen a new order with fresh ideas. If not, we might find ourselves back to the old days of the 1980s and before, when the public was left in the cold and officials did what they felt like because nobody knew what was really going on. Public information was held close to the vest. Constructive use of public information can be a tool to prevent corruption and enhance transparency both in the public and private sectors. However, it must be harnessed appropriately. A good first start could be to engage our legislators who are responsible to use public information to make laws and hold officials responsible to implement them. Legislators (sub-commitees etc...) need to be more involved in holding regular hearings of officials, businessmen, and private citizens. Hearings should cover the authenticity of investment contracts, public projects, fiscal and monetary policies, education and healthcare policies, etc. Statements made under oath during these testimonies if proven false, could lead to imprisonment, fines, or impeachment. We can criticize all day long. Unless we are prepared to engage those who were supposedly elected to serve our interests and hold them to account, we are missing out on the opportunity to use this information constructively. By the way, the last time I checked, these legislators are mostly from the opposition and not the ruling party. This is the first that I've ever heard of such in Liberia. Usually, the legislators are 100% beholden to the president's political party and interests. Therefore, more should be expected from these guys and from us citizens in engaging these guys. Does this mean that the opposition parties have nothing new or alternative to offer? The challenge is of engaging this legislative body to serve the interest of the citizenry and to strengthen a new dispensation rather than destroy our country once again.....Next time, there will be no one to bail us out: not the UN, UNMIL, ECOWAS, ECOMOG, Nigeria, United States of America, or the so-called American-educated Liberian government officials, who not all, but quite a number, are up late into the night trying to make Liberia functional again. Let us build-on our new international image of being a nation ready to engage the world and bring new ideas into the fold through constructive engagement with government and the private sector.

I believe the re-bidding process for the Western Cluster will soon be announced, allowing ALL previous bidders to participate, including the two previously "disqualified" entities, namely Delta Minding Consolidated and Tata. Does that not in itself exonerate these two companies from so-called "impropriety" and "external influence"? Why then call for re-bidding at all, if the re-bidding was justified for those reasons? Surely then the Government of Liberia should proceed with negotiations with the existing parties? This appears to be a smoke screen to avoid legal action against the Government for unproven allegations and slander. I stand by my prediction: re-bidding will commence, and an outside (American) company will pip the rest at the post. Predictable, and a real case of "impropriety and external influence". More of the same: bull, bribery and business as usual in Africa.... How will this Government, or any future alternative Government, ever drag the country out of the cycle of violence, war, anarchy and poverty, unless REAL transparancy becomes the order of the day...