By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Liberian Senate has authorized its Committees on Public Works, Transport, Judiciary and Lands, Mines and Energy to investigate the Ministry of Public Works decision to restore Western Cluster Road User Permit (RUP-220620-004), amidst continued violations of the Mineral Development Agreement (MDA).
The decision of plenary, followed a motion by Senator representing Bomi County, at the Liberian Senate, Senator, Edwin Snowe Jr., seeking the Parliament’s attention to investigate the unhealthy decision by the Ministry of Public Works to allegedly restore the Road User Permit of Western Cluster Limited (WCL).
A statement by the Senate, revealed that the Ministry of Public Works authorized the company to transport iron ore from the Bomi Hills Mines to the Freeport of Monrovia amidst violations of the terms and conditions within the Mineral Development Agreement as well as the MoU entered into by Government of Liberia (GoL) and WCL for the resumption of the company’s operations.
In his motion, Senator Snowe, said, the Ministry of Public Works has allegedly instructed Western Cluster Limited to increase its fleet of trucks from hundred trips per night to two hundred and Fifty trips per night which, in his view is a continuous violation of the terms and condition enshrined within the MDA and the MoU signed with the government of Liberia.
Snowe further said that the allowable gross load has increased from 30 to 45 tons per truck using damaged bridges along the Monrovia to Bomi road corridor.
He further stressed that these grave violations are not only adding damages to the already dire conditions of the St. Paul Bridge on the Bomi Hills Road Corridors but imposing a serious safety hazard to pedestrians plying the road.
The Committee is to report its findings in two weeks time to Plenary.
