A prominent and concerned citizen of Liberia, Smith K. Nugba, has predicted the loss of many lives and destruction of properties by the excessive speed of Western Cluster iron ore trucks’ operators if the government fails to institute measures.
Western Cluster Mining Company officially broke ground on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, and was cleared by the Liberian government to operate at three iron ore deposits in Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, and Gbarpolucounties, constituting the western part of the country.
Operating as an iron ore mining concession, the Western Cluster Mining Company has hundreds of heavy-duty trucks alongside earth-moving equipment to transport the iron ore to the Freeport of Monrovia through the Tubmanburg-Monrovia corridor.
The company and the Liberian government agreed to truck the minerals during the night hours, specifically beginning at 7:00 p.m. for the protection of lives and properties along the route.
But speaking to newsmen on Thursday, April 11, 2024 on the Bushrod Island, Nugba strongly opposed the agreed time given the company to transport the iron ore, underscoring that 7:00 p.m. is still early and poses life threat to the citizens along the corridor, including motorists.
“Even if it is 7 p.m., it is still early for those big trucks to ply such a major corridor. That’s the time you observe breadwinners of families, commercial bikes, tricycles and vehicles return home. Just imagine those huge trucks passing by them. Are you not creating a way for more danger while the government sits supinely?” he wondered.
The concerned citizen claimed that, according to information he gathered, the drivers of the iron ore trucks usually ply the corridor with excessive speed to quickly reach their destination and return on base to be given additional cash as promised by the management.
“Just to make extra money, as I was told, they don’t even care who is coming from ahead of them. They will just run uncontrollably and, in fact, some of them can bet as well where one man will say to his friend (driver) that he will reach sooner before anyone with those heavy-duty trucks on that small road. They just want to kill people free,” he added.
Explaining his own experience with the Western Cluster trucks, Nugba stated that he narrowly escaped his untimely death after nearly entering the ditch to give one of the speeding trucks a chance to pass, saying the situation instilled fear in him, and he felt uncomfortable the entire day.
The successful entrepreneur further emphasized shock over the Liberian government’s conspicuous silence on such a critical matter when it should put stringent measures in place to protect its citizens from the life-threatening danger.
He is however recommending to the Unity Party administration through the Liberia National Police (LNP)to, at the soonest possible time, change the 7:00 p.m. time to, at least, 11:00 p.m., 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 a.m., observingthat during this proposed time not many motorists or pedestrians roam the streets.
“If the government can go back to the company, they all sit around the table and push that time to 11:00 p.m., 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 a.m. in the morning, it will be okay,and it will be in the interest of the citizens,” the concerned citizen averred.
Nugba said he acknowledges the government’s priority of raising revenue from the company, but maintained that a revenue generation should not be detrimental to the lives of the same people for whom the government is working.
“This situation has killed some citizens before, as stated by Montserrado County Senator, Saah Joseph, in session the other day, but I know this government is a listening government and this recommendation will be given urgent attention to address the situation,” he said.
It can be recalled that on March 29, 2024 residents of Guie Town, a community on the Tubmanburg to Monrovia highway, set up road blocks in an effort to prevent all Western Cluster trucks from plying the road.
The decision of the citizens was as a result of anaccident that occurred on the March 27 involving a hired Western Cluster truck and a motorcycle carrying three students from Guie Town to Klay. According to the residents’ explanation, the truck, which was on its way from Monrovia, ran into the motorcycle, leaving themotorcyclist and the students severely injured.
The protesters alleged that the company deliberately refused to identify with the victimized and, worse of all, some of the victims were discharged from the government hospital in Tubmanburg with little or no proper medication.
They used the occasion to call on the county authority to swiftly intervene in order to prevent the reoccurrence of such a tragic incident in the county.