ACCORDING TO INFORMATION, the House of Representatives’ action recently returning the ArcelorMittal proposed US$800 MDA to the Executive for renegotiation after the lower and upper houses passed it with different recommendations was prompted by ArcelorMittal’s stubborn response to not “water” the ground for the smooth passage of the bill.
ACCORDING TO SOURCES from the Capitol, the near passage of the bill with additional recommendation was intended to give AML a breathing space to comply with the Executive and legislative demands, but it appeared like the AML would not buy into the corruption.
IT IS BEING rumored that the Executive requested that ArcelorMittal provides US$30 million apparently for their 2023 campaign purposes, but AML refused; as such, the Executive allegedly communicated with the House not to pass the amendment. Not to be seen as the hindrance, the House would immediately return the agreement to the desk of the President for renegotiation.
IT IS ALSO being rumored that some members of the Senate and House of Representatives are requesting that ArcelorMittal liquefy the plenary in order for the amendment to have a smooth passage, but again the AML is said to have refused to do so.
AMIDST AML’S REFUSAL to adhere to the demands, the bill is being politicized—that it is against the interest of the people—when both houses sent teams to AML sites to ascertain the facts and they all returned with positive news.
THE ARCELORMITTAL DEAL could be the largest foreign direct investment under the Weah administration, with a prospect of US$800 million and the employment of additional 2,000 Liberians. However, greed and politics have stalled everything.
INFORMATION REACHING THE Hot Pepper is that ArcelorMittal is intending to report the Weah administration’s lackadaisical behavior towards the agreement—gambling the jobs of over 3,000 Liberians for the aggrandizement of less than 50 individuals.