Published: September 22, 2025
GANTA, Nimba County — Liberia’s Joint Legislative Committee on Mineral Development Agreements (MDA) has dismissed allegations by Senator Nya D. Twayen Jr. that lawmakers are holding a “secret meeting” with ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML), insisting its ongoing oversight mission is legitimate, transparent, and squarely within the body’s mandate.
The Committee issued a statement Saturday from Ganta, where members had convened ahead of a visit to AML’s concession to inspect compliance with the Mineral Development Agreement.
“We categorically reject these claims,” the lawmakers said, reacting to a Facebook post by Twayen that accused more than two dozen legislators of convening behind closed doors with the steel giant. “There is nothing clandestine about legislators going to see, first-hand, the conditions of a major concession critical to our nation’s economy.”
‘Not a luxury tour’
The lawmakers stressed that the oversight trip was announced and coordinated with relevant authorities and that they intend to question AML directly on compliance issues.
“Contrary to insinuations, our work is being done in plain daylight, with accountability and transparency,” the Committee noted. “Our visit is a fact-finding mission, not a pleasure trip.”
They accused Twayen of waging a “reckless campaign of misinformation and political agitation” that undermines the Legislature’s credibility and sows unnecessary division.
“It is utterly unacceptable that a fellow lawmaker would cast aspersions on his colleagues in this manner,” the statement read.
Balancing accountability and investment
The Committee acknowledged concerns that AML has not fully met its obligations under the existing MDA, including community development commitments and infrastructure projects. It pledged to document these lapses and press for corrective action.
At the same time, the lawmakers rejected what they called Senator Twayen’s “hostile stance” toward the company, arguing that an antagonistic approach could damage Liberia’s fragile investment climate.
“ArcelorMittal is Liberia’s single largest private-sector employer, currently providing over 5,000 jobs,” the Committee said, adding that its Phase II expansion could create thousands more. “We will hold AML accountable, but we refuse to sabotage livelihoods simply to perform political grandstanding.”
The lawmakers invoked President Joseph Boakai’s recent remarks at the commissioning of AML’s concentrator plant: “There will always be issues with concessions, but we must sit around the table and solve them through dialogue. Liberia’s image must be protected.”
Call for unity
The statement urged Twayen to abandon what colleagues called “inflammatory rhetoric” and join the Committee in a unified push for stronger compliance and community benefits.
“We cannot protect Liberia’s interests by engaging in knee-jerk antagonism,” it read. “Our authority is strongest when we act with wisdom and facts, not when fragmented by discord.”
The Committee concluded by reaffirming its mission: ensuring Liberia’s concession agreements deliver tangible results, jobs, infrastructure, and services, without undermining investor confidence.
“Our people deserve results, not drama,” the lawmakers said. “This is a time for unity of purpose, not division.”
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