Grand Bassa County’s district #5 representative, Thomas Goshua, said the legislative report on Bea Mountain Mining Company violates the Constitutional right of Bea Mountain Mining Company’s Country Manger.
Recently, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, set up a committee to investigate the protest which took place in Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County. The Committee submitted its report in session on Tuesday. However, Representative Goshua claims that the report violates itself.
According to the lawmaker, “Our Constitution says that a Liberian can work in any place once he or she is qualified. And by them denying Mr. Allen from not working there is a complete violation of his Constitutional right. This is wrong and we should not encourage that.”
Speaking to a team of reporters after the report was read in session, Representative Ghousa said Section 14 of the petitioners’ counts recommended that Debar Allen, serving in his capacity as Country Manager, is a recipe forresistance from the workers. The committee craved the indulgence of the House to invite Allen to address himself to it,” he said.
But contrary to inviting Allen, he said, the committee went ahead to recommend his removal and transfer to another position.
He said Allen should have been invited to address himself to these allegations, but that was not done. More to that, he said, there are visual evidence in their possession that show the protestors saying Allen should leave because he is a Bassa man. He considered it as completely xenophobic and does not augur well for the country.
“I filed a motion of reconsideration to that report,” he stated. He said this report, if considered, will be serving a bad precedent in the country.
He said, “This is the first time for people to protest against other county’s citizen. Some time ago, they protested against one man from Nimba, Jackson Yuoh, to leave because he is from Nimba. This does not speak well of our business climate.”
He continued, “What if citizens from Grand Bassa one day come out and say all citizens from Grand Cape Mount should not work in Bassa? What will happen? I think this is wrong.”