As posted on AllAfrica.com on 28 April 2013.

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's intervention in a long-running” controversial land saga in oil-palm rich Sinoe County has paved the way for the smooth operations of Golden Veroleum at least for the foreseeable future” bearing any more missteps in the already strain ties between the company and residents in the area.

The President capped a three-day visit to the county last Friday with assurances from disgruntled residents of the county that they will put aside their opposition to the company's operations following assurances from the GVL management and the Government of Liberia that all efforts are being exhausted to address the concerns being raised by residents.

Grave sites damaged” residents say

Golden Veroleum is owned by the U.S.-based Verdant Fund LP” whose sole investor is Singapore-listed palm oil giant Golden Agri-Resources” the world's second-largest palm oil plantation company. It became Liberia's biggest palm oil investor in 2010 after announcing plans to spend $1.6 billion developing plantations over 220″000 hectares.

A little over a year after the acquisition however” work have stalled on the plantation as the company has been embroiled in squabbles with residents forcing much of the activities to come to a standstill and nurseries have fallen behind schedule.

The residents among other things have taken GVL to task for damaging grave sites of the Butaw people; damaging towns without consultation with citizens; damaging creeks intended for fishing for the Butaw people and that GVL's operations was not done in consultation with the Butaw citizens which has cast a dark cloud over the entire operations. The residents also prevailed on GVL to disband No Trespassing signs which they say is making it difficult for residents to move from one point to the next.

The residents have also taken issue with their lack of knowledge about how many hectares are being cleared by GVL in its operations in the county.

In a statement presented to Sirleaf at a town hall meeting last Friday” the residents agreed to work with GVL for a smooth operation. “This is not to let you know that all is right now but as consultations have begun we will continue our best to cooperate with the company and with the government of Liberia.”

In her stop in the county” Sirleaf pleaded with residents to help solve the problem so that the company can get back on track.

“Please work with them so we can fix this problem. The company is way behind. Many of the nurseries are beginning to spoil now and on the verge of being destroyed. “

“Today we have over one thousand workers by this time we should have five thousand workers. But everything is on hold. We want them to start so they can employ all of you.

“So let's resolve the land issue” let's resolve the other things I saw in the paper about the graves” about the water. They told us that they are resolving that. If it is not it will be so. What I have seen here is small compared to what they have promised government that they will do.”

:When it comes to schools” hospitals” clinics they are willing to do it all but we cannot do it because we are spending all this money and it has been over a year now and we are just paying people and we cannot work.”

'We want to fix it now'

Sirleaf acknowledged that the concession agreement was marred by problems from the start but committed her administration to fixing the problem.

“Before we signed that agreement we should have come and sat down with you. Now” we let the thing get out of hand and you” too you got vex and so we started to do all kind of things to spoil it. Now we want to fix it. We want to fix it good for you” for the government” for the country” for the county.”

The President said part of the reason her administration prevailed on Golden Veroleum to come to Liberia” was due to the mistakes of the past which put Liberia at a loss. “Except for Firestone with rubber” Liberia always depended on iron ore.”

“When LMC took the iron out of the ground and they left” there was a whole in the ground” Tubmanburg went dead; when LAMCO took the ore” problem came and they left” Yekepa went dead; when Bong Mines took iron from the ground and the problem came and they left” Fiah went dead.”

The President said the abundance of land and water in Liberia has made Liberia an agriculture country.

“We have to develop our agriculture because that's where most of our people eat from” that's where we can make the most progress” that's where we can get more jobs. But this time we wanted to go one step” we want to go beyond Firestone” because Firestone is not producing rubber gloves” balls” tires” till now. “

“So this time” we said” the company that comes to do agriculture here must turn that raw product like the oil palm into oil. We're not just talking about the oil that you make the palm oil from but we must turn it into real oil that we can put in the bottle and we too can sell to some other countries.”

The President said Golden Veroleum and the other companies have promised that they will ensure that Liberia go beyond what it got from previous concession arrangements.

“That is what is in the agreement” that's the one that will produce the real jobs. We're not just talking about those planting the seeds but those young graduates who will be there taking care of all the behind the scenes computer work that will make their lives better.”

Study cites GVL's Missteps

GVL's long-running feud with the locals was bolstered by a recent independent study which recommended that the company needed to review its social and environmental policies after its workers damaged graves” cleared existing crops and polluted creeks.

The findings from The Forest Trust (TFT)” a non-profit environmental consultancy” follow complaints from activists that the Singapore-controlled firm is violating commitments it made as a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)” a global certification body for the industry.

Palm oil is the world's most important vegetable oil used in everything from margarine and soap to biofuel” with annual production around the world worth about $20 billion.

RSPO requires its members to adopt environmentally and socially responsible policies to improve the industry's record that has included forest destruction and pollution. “There is materiality to a number of the claims made by the communities”” according to the TFT report.

The report also said that GVL needed to review its land acquisition process” improve communication with locals” bolster its compensation process” and educate workers about the company's RSPO commitments” among other things.

GVL through its spokesman David Rothchild” reacting to the report told Reuters in March that the company acknowledged and accepted the recommendations in the report and expects to implement them. “If we have fallen short” we will try to improve.”

'We want GVL to succeed but… '

During a stop at GVL Butaw facility in Sinoe last Friday” Sirleaf welcomed steps by GVL to improve conditions but said more needed to be done and the residents' concerns addressed.

Said Sirleaf: “We want these operations to succeed but at the same time any complaints from communities need to be addressed and we are here to be able to support the effort that has been ongoing with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Sinoe Caucus.”

“The communities and the company itself has agreed to correct those concerns” that whatever errors may have been made as a result of discussions with the communities that were not done that should have been done. We are here to endorse the correction of that and to ensure that GVL continues to operate and expand its operations” and to carry out the objective that has been agreed between the country and the company.”

Addressing reports that some residents were arrested for highlighting injustices in the concession agreement” the president said no official has a right to jail any citizens without a court order.

“The whole problem and those that went to prison and all of that” let me just say this: The President” the Vice President” the Ministers” the legislators” the superintendent” nobody can put somebody in jail without a court order. “

“That's what our law says. If the person does something wrong” they will go to jail but they must go to court” if the evidence is there that they did wrong” they judge will commit them to jail” that's what our law book says. For those who don't have lawyer” they got something they call public defender now. The government pays them to represent you when you do not have a lawyer.”

The President said her administration through the land commission is in the process of addressing the burning land issue in the country” and not just Butaw.

“That's why they got the land commission to try to solve this whole land business. We have public land” we have community land we have private land. The policy on that is just being written and finalized right now. Once we finish with it we will pass the law.”

“That policy is only just now being put into place. We are mandating the land commission to meet with you to send people here to go over with you what the land policy says before we take it to the legislature. You will know the one that belongs to you” the one that belong to government and the one that belong to individuals.”

Erasing negative investment perceptions of Sinoe

On the issue of GVL” the President said once the details of the new land regulations are formulated” properties will be divided appropriately.

“When it comes to the GVL whatever land that is given them” whatever category that it falls under based on the findings of the land commission” they will be able to tell you. There is no secret in this government.”

“Whatever is in this concession agreement that will allow them to take. The process has already started.”

The county's senior Senator Mobotu Nyenpan” for his part said it was important for residents to sit around the table and find a way forward.

“This is important and I want to encourage the Butaw people on behalf of the Caucus that we are pleased to hear from you that Gold Veroleum should continue its operations. What you have requested will be done.”

The Senator urged residents of the county to fight the negative perceptions dogging the county that it is an unfriendly place for investors.

“Let us understand one thing” in all that we do” our president” this government has worked so hard to attract investors to come to our country to work and depending on the reception” depending on the way we hold them” others will follow or they will go to other counties. So we too have a responsibility to make sure that we express our grievances in a manner that will not bring embarrassment to our government or disgrace to our county.”

Continued Nyenpan: “Butaw is one of the oldest district in our county; the Butaw people are hardworking people and so opportunities are now here. Let's us take advantage of them. “

“The issues you raised here in discussions with Golden Veroleum” we are told” they are going to address some of the issues” so I think this is a platform for us to move forward. Let us not continue to look backward.”

The Senator said the issues expressed by the resident are issues that can be resolved and steps are being taken for these issues to be resolved. “The Butaw people will benefit from their land. The Butaw people here seated have told us publicly that they have nothing against Golden Veroleum.”