–As Min. Grigsby Accused Of Undermining Inter-Ministerial Decision
The Hot Pepper is being informed that the matter regarding ArcelorMittal being the rail operator of the Yekepa—Buchanan railway was recently resolved by the Inter-Ministerial Concession Committee, established by President Joseph Boakai to look into the matter. However, the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Sylvester Grigsby, is being accused of misusing his proximity to the President to influence the forceful imposition of High Power Exploration (HPX) Inc. on the Liberian society at the detriment of ArcelorMittal Liberia and the Liberian government.
Information accessed by the Hot Pepper indicates that on April 30, 2025 the Inter-Ministerial Concessions Committee (IMCC) held a meeting in which it unanimously revised its previous position on the rail operator model—acknowledging ArcelorMittal Liberia as the rail operator of the existing Yekepa—Buchanan railway.
According to authoritative sources, the IMCC’s decision was stemmed from the fact that the current mineral development agreement between the Government of Liberia (GOL) and ArcelorMittal Liberia gives the company the absolute right to serve as the rail operator; as such, the decision was intended to preserve legal and operational stability, as well as maintain investor confidence and avoid delays that could affect potential user of the infrastructure.
After the meeting, it was reported that the Inter-Ministerial Concessions Committee officially communicated its decision with the President and CEO of Ivanhoe Atlantic Inc., Bronwyn Barnes, and made it categorically clear that the government is determined to avoid a drawn-out and potentially disruptive legal process that could result from impacting AML’s rights as established under its existing MDA.
The Committee emphasized that ArcelorMittal already invested significantly in maintaining and upgrading the railway; therefore, transitioning to a new operator or creating uncertainty around the operational structure could create unpredictability of the rail operations in the near future.
After receiving the communication, Minister Grigsby, who allegedly serves as HPX’s chief lobbyist in the Boakai administration, requested that Barnes immediately come to Liberia to meet with the President before the decision takes effect.
Accordingly, Bronwyn Barnes was confirmed to be in Liberia over the weekend, and was escorted by Minister Grigsby to Bomi County, at President Boakai’s private residence, where he had gone to rest and get ready for the new week. The intent was to allegedly provide counter-argument to the inter-ministerial committee’s decision in order to give HPX the advantage in the decision-making.
What was discussed in the gathering has not been accessed by the Hot Pepper, but pundits are wondering why Minister Grigsby would want to overturn a decision reached by inter-ministerial consensus.
As it stands, ArcelorMittal has expended over US$1.7 billion in building infrastructures and human capacity over the years, with a glaring history of commitment to the development agenda of the country. On the contrary, HPX has only been making verbal, if not empty, promises, as they have nothing to show, even though they have been pushing for a deal for the past years.
The railway politics in this matter is gradually bringing to public glare the real reason for the delay in the ratification of AML’s third MDA, with influential ministers of government fronting and lobbying for companies for their private prize, without considering the harsh consequences or the risk in derailing development.
Over the years, AML has created over 3,000 direct jobs for Liberians, contributed over US$200 million to the annual revenue coffers, and increased County Social Development Fund allocations. It has also been providing scholarships and training programs for Liberians.
According to observers, if the government wants to take away AML’s rail operator authority, then they should speed up the ratification of the company’s MDA; if not, they should allow AML to operate in peace until other companies can start to show tangibles.
They frowned at the news that Minister Grigsby is allegedly behind a scheme to thwart a national development interest only for his selfish and personal gain. They wondered why a senior government official like Minister Grigsby would want to undermine his own government.
They described President Boakai as a reform-minded leader, and urged him not to allow Minister Grigsby to destroy his public trust, as other investors, companies and partners are carefully following the matter to decide whether or not to take his government seriously.
