By Ballah M. Kollie, Bong County Correspondent
GBARNGA, Feb 15 (LINA) – Authorities of Bong County have completed arrangements for the construction and rehabilitation of three major roads in Suakoko and Sanoyea Districts.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed at a stakeholders’ meeting on January 29, Jonah Capital, a mining company operating in the county is to use US$20,000 from the 2 percent exploration budget set aside for social enhancement, to purchase fuel and pay wages for labor, for the construction and rehabilitation of the road from Barrows Farm to Boyermah, US$8,000 to upgrade the road linking Suakoko District to Gbornokalansue and US$10,000 for the rehabilitation of hand pumps in the company’s licensed area, among others.
The company, in keeping with the MOU, will also pay US$15,654 owed Gou community to a contractor who was working on their road.
Under the agreement, Bong County will provide her own machinery while Jonah Capital will pay wages and provide fuel for the machines.
Speaking to the Liberia News Agency following a guided tour of the roads, Bong County Superintendent Selena Polson-Mappy cautioned residents in the affected communities to make use of the opportunity and collaborate with implementers of the project.
“The opportunity you have today is being sought by many other communities in our county. You, therefore, have the responsibility to support these people and help us to feed them while they are working on your roads,” the Bong County Superintendent emphasized.
Also speaking to LINA after the tour, the Exploration Manager of Jonah Capital, Stephen Afou, described the exercise as successful, and promised his company’s preparedness to collaborate with leaders of the county in ensuring that the projects are successfully implemented.
Mr. Afou emphasized the need for the involvement of local leaders to ensure maximum security of project materials and equipment.
At the same time, in line with the MOU, the company will use US$30,000 from the 2 percent exploration budget set aside for social enhancement in affected communities, to purchase an X-ray machine and accessories for Phebe Hospital.
It will also use not less than US$20,000 to convert the company’s old exploration camp at Dumah, near the Kpatawee Waterfall into a school and donate same to the Government of Liberia through authorities of the county.
Jonah Capital began operating in Bong County in 2011 with an exploration budget of 6.2 million United States Dollars of which 2% is to be used for social enhancement in affected communities in keeping with Section 9.3b of the Mineral Law of Liberia.
However, LINA quotes officials as saying that Jonah Capital has over the years used more than US$300,000 on social enhancement in affected communities since it started operations.
The company constructed the road from Zeansue to Denima Town, donated books to schools and repaired of hand pumps in their licensed area.
LINA BMK/TSS