Gweayea Residents Accuse CHICO of Betrayal, Halt Work".
Pavement works along the Gbarnga Mendikorma road were temporarily suspended on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, after residents of Gweayea Town, Electoral District Four, Bong County, staged a protest against CHICO, the Chinese road construction company operating in the area.
The protest, which brought operations at CHICO's rock quarry to a standstill, was triggered by what residents described as the company's failure to fully honor its social and corporate responsibility commitments outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the community in 2018.
Under the ten-year MOU, CHICO reportedly provided benefits valued at approximately US$20,000 to Gweayea Town and its residents.
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However, community leaders and protesters argue that the agreement also obligated the company to rehabilitate key federal roads within the clan, an aspect they insist on remains largely unfulfilled.
Residents say Gweayea Town has long served as one of CHICO's primary operational bases in District Four, including hosting the company's rock extraction site.
Despite this sustained presence, protesters claim the community has derived minimal lasting benefits from the project.
In a dramatic move aimed at drawing national attention and compelling government intervention, residents early Tuesday morning barricaded the quarry using a traditional "country devil," effectively halting all activities at the site.
Responding to the protest, CHICO's Human Resource Officer, Aquilla N. Sackie, told reporters that the residents' actions constitute a violation of the MOU.
He maintained that the company has fulfilled its obligations under the agreement and urged community members to return to dialogue as the appropriate means of resolving the dispute.
Mr. Sackie warned that the shutdown could negatively impact progress on the road project, noting that CHICO is expected to complete the Gbarnga Salayea road, particularly the stretch passing through District Four, by March this year.
As of press time, operations remained suspended, while calls intensified for mediation by local authorities and national stakeholders to resolve the impasse and allow construction work to resume.
