Monrovia — The Chief Executive Officer of the MNG Gold, Mehmet Nazif Günal, on Tuesday paid a courtesy visit to President Joseph Boakai at the Executive Mansion. His visit comes weeks after the violent protest at Bea Mountain, a subsidiary of MNG Gold in Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County.
Though details of their meeting remain scanty, FrontPageAfrica gathered that Mr. Günal expressed gratitude to Pres. Boakai for his leadership role in ensuring the calm return to Kinjor.
The Bea Mountain recently closed its operations in Matambo following the violent protest which led to the destruction of company assets. This caused the loss of about 400 jobs in the impoverished area.
Angry protestors set ablaze three earth-moving mining machines, burnt a police station, as well as homes of local citizens. They alleged that the company had failed to uphold the Mineral Development Agreement, specifically calling for the removal of all non-Cape Mountaineers from top positions and their replacement with Cape Mountaineers. The protest was reportedly supported by a newly elected lawmaker in the district, Mohammed Dosi. In response, Senator Simeon Taylor wrote to the senate requesting an investigation into Dosi for inciting the protestors.
Senator Taylor's letter states: "With utter dismay, I write to inform this august body (The Liberian Senate) about the unwholesome act on the part of Mr. Mohammed Dosi, Representative of electoral district number two in Grand Cape Mount county. On February 24, 2024, Hon. Dosi was seen in a gathering in Kinjor urging and rallying the citizens of Grand Cape Mount county to engage in a county-wide protest against the BMMC company."
"In the words of Hon. Dosi, he pleaded with the citizens to stage a protest that would bring all activities of the company to a standstill. Regrettably, there is an ongoing protest in Kinjor at the moment, just days after his call. Madam Pro-Tempore and distinguished members, I urge this body to take the issue regarding Hon. Dosi very seriously, as his actions have led to the alleged loss of lives and wanton destruction of properties."
An internal memorandum issued to employees recently stated: "As a result of the sad events, the senior management has decided to carry out a controlled shutdown in order to contribute to the peaceful resolution of the events. A controlled shutdown will be required to operate for a while longer as a requirement of the operating principles of the facility's mills."
"In this regard, the controlled shutdown in activities will commence as of March 3, 2024," the document signed by its deputy operations manager, Emire Kuyu.
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However, Chiefs, elders, and youth leaders of the Matambo Corridor told a team of reporters last week that they want the company to stay.
Samuel B. Jackson, town chief of Jene Wonde said: "Some of us are not happy because this is where we get our daily bread from. When this company leaves, our brothers, sisters, women, all of them will suffer. So, we are appealing to the company. Despite all that has happened, let them forgive us because when they go, some of us have payments pending. Let them come back to do the work."
"We make our lawmakers. If we suffer, they too will suffer. So we are appealing to them so they can stay here."
Youth Development chairman, Amagashie Tetteh Pour said: "We expect protests to happen. Where you have a concession, you can expect disputes to arise. The company's presence here helps to build our human development capacity. Some of our brothers and sisters from this area, who used to depend on farming and gold work, today, through the company, are able to earn a little over 200-300 for themselves to sustain their families."
"We are calling upon our lawmakers and citizens to see the reason to have a dialogue with the company and the communities. We, the community dwellers, are the affected people now. So, our lawmakers should see reason to talk to the company and talk to our people so that we all can work together."
"We are also appealing to the company not to leave. We should all work together through our government," he said.
