Firestone, Salala Not Beneficial to Us

Citizens
of Margibi County have indicted that Firestone rubber plantation and
the Salala rubber company  that operate in the county are insensitive
to the developmental needs of the county and its people ever since the
rubber estates begun operating in there.

They
said the two companies are particularly not beneficial to them. They
gave their impression of the rubber estates Unification Town at a
meeting aimed at brainstorming to find a sustainable development drives
for the county and its people under the Johnson-Sirleaf’s government.

Unification
Town meeting was chaired by the Superintendent of the county, Levi
Piah, with the attendance of scores of citizens including the county’s
Legislative caucus, elders, chiefs, youth groups, students among others
from the four electoral districts of the county.

The citizens took issues with Firestone and Salala rubber companies,
which according to them, have done nothing for the county, and are
ill-treating workers on the plantation as if the workers, who are
providing services for the company’s high profitability were animals to
be lowly treated.
          

The county
Superintendent, Levi Piah informed his compatriots at the gathering
that the Salala rubber company has consistently refused to contribute
to development projects in the county whenever it has been called upon
to do so.

The county superintendent
however praised the Weala Rubber Company, as the most cooperative
organization that continues to show hand of assistance towards
development projects in the county.
                     
He
said Firestone did inform the county’s administration that it was
paying huge taxes to the Liberian government and as such it was not
prepared to undertake development meant purposely for the county.

“Firestone
came to Liberia in 1926, and can point out nothing concrete in terms of
development for the county, but can only boast of paying taxes to
central government” Superintendent Piah added.
                     
Some
of the citizens who spoke at the meeting intimated that dogs and other
pets owned by Firestone expatriates were enjoying better living
conditions than the plantation workers and called on their
representatives and senators not to sit and allow the company to
continuously enslave their people.

The
citizens said these lawmakers must at this time compel the company to
abolish the slavery being perpetrated against their citizens. 
                     

The
citizens blamed past regimes for signing the concession agreement that
did not take into consideration the priority and development needs of
the county, something they described as bad governance and injustice
towards the people of Margibi County.

Some
of the citizens who also spoke at the meeting revealed that the company
has polluted and continued to pollute the Farmington river, and as a
result, many of the people who use the river to fetch drinking water
are dying due to the high concentration of chemicals in the water.

But this allegation has  consistently been denied over the years by the Firestone Management.
   

They
called on their senators and representatives and the government to
adopt new measures that will forcibly compel the two companies’
managements to take concrete and meaningful development initiatives
that will enhance growth and development in the county.

Representatives
of District #3, Saah Gbollie and Flasher Chideryou and Senator Clarice
A. Jah who were at the meeting told their county citizens that
Firestone agreement was been reviewed by government and is expected to
be presented to the Liberian parliament very shortly.
                     

The
Lawmakers promised the citizens of Margibi that they would lobby with
their colleagues in the Parliament to insert allotments in the new
agreement for the development of the county.

This
is not the first time that some Liberians have spoken against the
alleged gruesome operations of Firestone against Margibians especially
plantation workers.
                     

It can be recalled
that some human rights institutions in the country have sued Firestone
in a U.S. court for alleged bad labor practices and acts tantamount to
slavery that are being perpetrated against people working on the
plantation.

But in all of these
allegations, the powerful public relations department at the giant
rubber company has written off such allegations as unfounded and untrue.