A group of Grand Gedeh citizens and activists, under the banner, Gedeh United to Protect Natural Resources (GUProNRes), has alarmed over what it terms a dubious plan to give out the Putu Mountain concession to an illegitimate and unknown foreign company.
The group, in a statement read Sunday, September 29, 2024, in Monrovia, sent out a caveat to the Liberian government against an alleged intent to enter into an investment agreement with a foreign company to take over the Putu Mountain concession.
The statement, read by GUProNRes’ Director of Press, Sampson T. Noah, quoted a credible government source as saying that plans are nearing conclusion with a foreign company to acquire the Putu Mountain, even though the company in question has no proved solid financial and economic capacity and/or substantive long-term operation of a major mineral concession such as the Putu Mountain.
The group further alleged that the motive of this alleged sinister plan, which is being influenced by some selfish individuals in both the Executive and Legislative branches of government, is to earn millions of dollars by acquiring the concession and selling it to another company with the requisite economic and financial capacity.
GUProNRes said that there is no guaranteed arrangement to assure the people of Grand Gedeh County of the required social and economic benefits for the planned exploitation of their resources and the possible accompanying environmental degradation.
The Grand Gedeh group has, meanwhile, vowed to mobilize citizens and residents of the county to democratically (lawfully) resist any illegal attempt to dubiously sell or give out Putu Mountain with no clear and unequivocal assurance of how the people of Grand Gedeh would benefit, as well as the proved integrity, financial and economic capacity of any company taking over the Putu Mountain.
It can be recalled that in 2017 Minister of Mines and Energy, Patrick Sendolo, confirmed before the Liberian Senate that Russian steel giant, Putu Mining, had pulled out of Liberia.
Minister Sendolo told the country that Putu Mines left because it could not handle the mining operations alone, after it tried to find partners but to no avail.
Minister Sendolo’s appearance before the Senate was a result of a communication written by then Grand Gedeh County Senator, G. Alphonso Gaye, requesting his colleagues to investigate circumstances surrounding the closure of Putu Mining.
Senator Gaye also requested the government to state whether or not the concession company had completely ceased its operation in the country and, if so, what had led to the closure, and to also explain whether the company relinquished its rights to the concession or was still holding on to it.