Bomi County and Former Speaker of the House, Senator Alexander Tyler

The Plenary of the Liberian Senate received a formal communication from Senator J. Alex Tyler, Senator of Bomi County and Chairman of the Western Region Legislative Caucus, raising serious concerns about the operations of Western Cluster Liberia Limited (WCL).

Western Cluster Liberia Limited (WCL) is an iron Ore Mining Company operating in the western part of Liberia.

In his communication, Senator Tyler presented a formal complaint detailing what he described as the gross violation of the Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) signed between the Government of Liberia and Western Cluster.

According to him, the company has engaged in activities that not only undermine the terms of the agreement but also disregard the welfare of citizens residing in the affected counties, namely Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, and Gbarpolu Counties respectively.

Senator Tyler accused Western Cluster of operating outside the bounds of its contractual obligations, specifically pointing to the companyโ€™s failure to make social development and community payments owed to the people of Bomi County and the Western Region.

Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe is an influential senator representing the people in Western Liberia

He stressed that despite numerous engagements and public expectations; the company has failed to meet its financial commitments, yet has allegedly commenced preparations to resume operations without settling its outstanding obligations or renegotiating terms with affected stakeholders.

โ€œThe people of Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, and Gbarpolu have waited patiently for justice. The company continues to exploit our resources while refusing to deliver on its promises,โ€ Senator Tyler asserted.

He emphasized that the companyโ€™s behavior reflects disrespect not only for the local population but for the authority of the Liberian state, and at the same time called for immediate legislative intervention.

Following the reading of the communication, Senator Edwin M. Snowe Jr., also of Bomi County and a member of the Western Region Legislative Caucus, offered a motion that the matter be turned over to the Senate Committees on Judiciary and Investment.

The motion which was overwhelmingย  endorsed byย  members of the Senate calls for the relevant committees to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the operations of Western Cluster Liberia, assess the extent of the companyโ€™s alleged violations, and report back to the plenary with findings and recommendations within two weeks.

The motion was unanimously accepted by plenary, thereby mandating the joint committee to begin its investigative work without delay. The decision was met with strong support across the aisle, reflecting the Senateโ€™s collective concern about the conduct of concessionaires operating within Liberiaโ€™s borders.

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