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Villagers in Grand Cape Mount County Western Liberia” have given Sime Darby” the World's number one producer of satisfied palm oil the permission to develop at least five 5″000 hectares of land into oil palm plantation.

The locals during the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between them and Sime Darby last Friday promised that they will give more land to the company to cultivate Oil Palm once it begins operation in their area.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Land Commission” an agency of the Liberian government responsible for land matters. Civil society leaders” traditional leaders and elders were also in attendance.

“We are even prepared to give Sime Darby more land. We have so much land that we are not using and it been here for years”” Sekou Balloh” Deputy National Traditional Council Chairman and Elder of Grand Cape Mount remarked at the signing ceremony.

The signing ceremony took place in Falie” one of the three towns from Zodua Clan that are in support of the company's expansion program.

The villagers' action slam a global campaign that the expansion of oil palm plantations in Sub- Saharan Africa which consists of many of the world's poorest countries including Liberia could farther threaten their livelihoods” destroy the environment and increase global warming.

Speaking to the BBC last week” environmental lobbyist Silas Siakor of the Sustainable Development Initiative (SDI) accused Sime Darby of Land Grab as well as posing threat to the environment. Sime Darby has since rubbished the allegations.

The United Nations has estimated that world's population will exceed six billion people by 2025″ which means agriculture companies will have to do more especially in food production across the globe by increasing their production to meet such a huge challenge.

For instance in Liberia “Land Grab” crusaders who are mostly NGOs have contended that agriculture concessions signed by the Liberian Government do not take into account the traditional and customary land rights of the local people” calling for cancellation and renegotiation. This approach by NGOs has created tension in the country and stalled the operations of Oil Palm companies like Sime Darby and Golden Veroleum” the two leaders in the Oil Palm industry in the world.

Boakai Kromah” of Gohn and chairman of the Zodua land committee said they invited Sime Darby to the clan to develop their land. Contrary to accusations from NGOs that the locals have no say and do not participate in the development of their land by Sime Darby” Kromah said members of the Zodua land committee worked alongside Sime Darby” The Forest Trust (TFT) and other civil society groups in conducting Free Prior Inform Consent (FPIC)” mapping of sacred sites and boundaries demarcation.

The people of Zodua according to Kromah had a challenge of trying to convince Sime Darby to move into the area almost two years ago” as the company had said it could not develop their land unless all of the processes surrounding FPIC were fully satisfied and complete.

“We are happy that even though the journey to bring us to where we are today was long it will help all of us. Zodua are we not happy”” he said chanting a traditional slogan which was followed by a thunderous applause and jubilation from a huge crowd.

Zodua Clan is approximately 120 kilometers away from Monrovia. Bad roads” poor health and education facilities are among the colossal challenges facing the region with over 10″000 people. The only clinic in the entire area in some 10 kilometers away for some towns and a bit less for others; thus posing difficulties to pregnant women in getting treatment . There is one primary school in Falie catering for two addional towns and other surrounding villages. Boakai Kromah also told FrontPage Africa that the school has just two teachers.

Kromah said the people of are cognizant of the immense economic and infrastructure benefits Sime Darby's operations has brought to his county” especially upper Garwula District.

Said Kromah “We did not need to be told by anyone how much Sime Darby has done for our brothers and sisters in Bomi and Cape Mount” we saw it and made the decision to invite Sime Darby to our area.”

Land Commission Co-Chairman” Walter Wisner pointed accusing fingers to NGOs for undermining the growth of Western Liberia.

“There are some good NGOs but there are many bad ones. The bad NGOs are the ones spreading lies about concessionaires that have come to help improve the living standards of our people. Their chopping is over in Zodua” because the people have made up their minds”” the Land Commission official said.

Last May 2013 a similar ceremony took place Bomi County” where the people of Sengeh District perform a traditional that paved the way for Sime Darby to commence operation in their area.

SDPL General Manager Roslin Azmy Hassan told this paper in an interview with Reporter in Zodua” Grand Cape Mount County that his company has so far cultivated 8000 hectares of land.

Hassan said even though the company needs land for development it would only go into new areas upon invitation from the locals through a clear FPIC process.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since March 2012 gave Sime Darby a permit to develop 20″000 hectares of land in Gbarpolu County” West Northern Liberia” but the company is yet to move into the area because according to Hassan Free Prior Inform Consent (FPIC) will have to done before a single earth moving equipment can go into the area.

“What happened in the past I can promise will never be repeated” where our company was accused of violating the rights of the local people”” Hassan told reporters.

If Sime Darby operation is successful in Liberia” the country will be the first on the continent to host the oil palm giant and export oil to other European markets. This will further strengthen the Liberian economy which got a gross domestic product per capita income of 456″ putting the country among the world 20 poorest countries.

Sime Darby is a key player in the Malaysian economy as well as diversified Multinational Corporation with businesses in key growth sectors” namely plantation” property” motors” industry equipment” energy & utilities and healthcare.

The company has a market capitalization $ 18.17 billion as of June 2013.

The UN has estimated that Liberia will be achieve some of key indicators of Millennium Development Goals by 2025 once the country remains on its current path of infrastructure development” encourage Foreign Direct Investment and keep the more than 10 years on uninterrupted peace.

Original Article