Since the wide cat protest in the gold mining town of Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County, took place last week, a business man and citizen of the county has regretted the incident saying dialogue would have been better.
As a result of the incident, citizens are said to be regretting their prtoest actions against Bea Mountain, a Turkish gold mining company in northwest of Liberia’s Capitol, Monrovia.
Seated at his business center partly deserted in Gouguama, one of the towns in the county, businessman Victor Massaquoi regreted that the citizens took the law into their hands and not giving the chance to county authorities to make their case.
He said even though the company has issues with the citizens, the best way would have been to sit and resolve it rather than embarking on protest.
He made the statement to journalists over the weekend at his shop.
When asked about the protestors and police officers whose actions led to the loss of lives and damage properties, Mr. Massaquoi said he was one of those in the vanguard of speaking to fellow citizens to disengage from violent protest.
“I was once attacked and threatened that my house will be burned down, and they will kill me” he explained.
Out of fear for the kids, the businessman relocated his family from the town, leaving alone to protect his properties from being damaged by those who threatened him.
He welcomed a peaceful protest that would have drown the attention of the Mining Company, but to have gone violent, is something that he saw as going beyond their limits.
Mr. Massaquoi used to work for the company, but was redundant not being distracted he said, “ My business is my company.”
He intoned that when activities of the company are smoothly operating, businesses in the areas run well.
“These few days, business is not ok because people have the fear to leave their houses to come and buy” he lamented.
He proposed that the citizens should give the chance to their lawmakers to have a round table discussion with the company to address their job needs and working conditions.
“The officers are not our enemies, but are there to protect lives and properties” he cautioned citizens of the gold mining county of Cape Mount.
Not only Mr. Massaquoi is feeling the negative side of the protest, but Jenneh G. Massaley, too, who is a businesswoman, is not feeling good about the protest because her business has gone slow.
