PHOTO: (L-R) Abdullai Massarey and Seidu Swaray
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
Division has erupted among the members of the leadership of the Community Land Management and Development Committee of the gold-rich Town on Bangroma, Tewor District, Grand Cape Mount County, after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the community and the management of the Bea Mining Company.
Recently, the Chairman of the Bangroma Community signed an MOU with the management of the Bea Mining Company to relocate the town following the discovery of a huge deposit of gold by the company in the middle of the town.
The signing of the MOU followed almost six months of negotiations between the community and the Bea Mining Company on their relocation of the residents, the construction of housing units and payment of the arrear 60,000 United States Dollars owed the community.
But the Co-Chairman of the Community Land Management and Development Committee in Monrovia, Sheik Abdulai Massarey rejected the MOU on ground that the rural leaders were coheres by Grand Cape Mount County Representative Gbesay Faika.
According to Sheik Massarey, there has been no conclusion on the discussion between the community and the company before the signing of the MOU.
He added that Representative Faika allegedly played on the illiteracy of the elders in the town without reaching agreement for their benefit owed them to be paid
When contacted , Representative Faika refuted the claim on ground that she was only witnessing the discussion and signed as a witness so for the mutual benefits of the company and the residents in the town.
According to her, the discussion has delayed her trip to the United States on several occasions based on request of the elders in the town
The representative then referred our reporter Seidu Swaray, who claimed to be secretary of the Bangroma Community who said the the MOU was signed based on popular demand by the residents.
For his part, the Secretary of the Bangroma Committee, in Tewor District Grand Cape County, Seidu Swaray claimed that the allegation against the Rep. is misrepresentation of the facts.
Mr. Swaray even displayed a recorded video of the residents during a mass meeting with the representative mandating her that they have agreed to the MOU.
According to him, the MOU outlined several demands including the construction of housing units for the residents, school, clinic and the provision of employment for the residents.
The value of the gold deposit discovered in Bangroma was not disclosed as this paper was informed that the Environmental protection agency was only awaiting the signing of the MOU in order to do environmental assessment in the town when the mining begins.