-Pres Weah sets up committee to review concession agreements
By Frank Sainworla, Jr. fsainworla@yahoo.com
Amidst available proof of reputable international audit that most of Liberia’s existing concession agreements were illegal and not in the interest of the people, a nine-member presidential committee has been set up by President George Weah “to evaluate all concessions/management and other Agreements.”
A press statement from President Weah’s office said in Monrovia on Wednesday that agreements up for review also include “contracts entered into by and between the Government of Liberia and Concessionaires and/or Contractors.”
The Committee to review the agreements is heady by President Weah’s Legal Advisor, Cllr Archie Bernard and Co-Chaired by a prominent Liberian lawyer Cllr N T, Negbalee Warner, who is Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia.
Those flawed agreements mentioned by auditors were ratified by the 52nd and 53rd Legislature, many of whom (Senators and Representatives) are still in national leadership today both in the Legislative and Executive branches of government,
Back in May 2013, the leading Moore Stephens auditing firm released a damning report commissioned by the Liberian government of former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who took office in January 2006.
The findings revealed by the international auditors showed that only two out of 68 resource contracts worth $8bn (£5.1bn) were conducted properly.
The report cited concessions agreements granted in areas of agriculture, forestry, mining and oil – “including a lucrative deal with oil company Chevron – were either wholly or partially flawed.”
As a result, the existence of the huge concessions have failed to have the desired impact on the lives of ordinary Liberians over the years.
Chloe Gussel of the international campaign group, Global Witness said when the Moore Stephens report was released: “These are problems that we have known about for a long time – but the fact that only two of 68 concessions were fully compliant with the law is just mindblowing,”
Fussell added that “some of the most damning material in the report concerns logging permits that cover one quarter of the country and were given out illegally.”
President Weah, whose CDC-led government came to power on a “pro-poor” agenda, formed the formed the concession evaluation committee with a mandate “to review and ensure that all contracts entered into by the Government of Liberia and Concessionaires are executed according to agreed principles in accordance with the Laws of Liberia. “
The new Liberian leader further mandated the committee to ascertain and ensure that all contracts meet the legal requirements of the laws of Liberia and are fully implemented.
Weah has also instructed the committee to ensure that during its investigation, the Concessionaires and the Republic of Liberia are in good standing with all current performance under the Terms and Conditions of the concession, management and other agreements/contracts signed.
The concessions review committee has been mandated to recommend where there are issues.
Other members of the committee include Charles Bright, Economic Advisor to the President, Cllr. Necular Y. Edwards, Cllr. Bendu E. Clark, Cllr. Juah Nancy Cassell, Cllr. Jallah Barbu, and Cllr. Teplah Reeves.
Meanwhile, President Weah has directed all government agencies, public institutions, commissions and state-owned enterprises to fully cooperate with the committee to facilitate its smooth operations.