The Joint Legislative Committee on Mineral Development Agreements on Saturday rebuked allegations by Nimba County Senator Nya Twayen that its visit to ArcelorMittal Liberia’s concession area was a “secret meeting” and implied impropriety.
Speaking from Ganta where the committee is conducting an official oversight mission, Chairman Senator Numene Bartekwa and Cochair Senator Simeon said the visit was planned, coordinated with relevant authorities and falls squarely within its statutory fact-finding and inspection duties.
“We categorically reject these claims,” the committee said in a statement. It called the senator’s post a “reckless campaign of misinformation and political agitation” and said suggestions that members were on a “luxury tour” or meeting secretly with the company were false and damaging to the Legislature’s reputation.
While stressing that the committee will hold ArcelorMittal (AML) accountable for any breaches of the MDA, the statement urged a balanced approach. It noted that AML is Liberia’s largest private employer with more than 5,000 workers and a planned Phase II expansion expected to create roughly 5,000 additional jobs. The committee warned that “reflexive hostility” toward a major investor could endanger livelihoods and the country’s investment climate.
At the same time, the legislators acknowledged reported and admitted instances of AML noncompliance — including unfulfilled community and infrastructure commitments and said those issues are a principal reason for the on-site inspections. “We are here to identify shortcomings and opportunities, to document lapses and ensure promises made to our citizens are kept,” the statement said.
The committee called on Senator Twayen to desist from public denunciations and to join in constructive, face-to-face engagement. It pledged to use hearings, site visits and legal remedies where necessary, and to report its findings transparently to the Legislature and the public.
