The plenary of the Liberian Senate has authorized its committees on Public works, Transport, Judiciary and Lands Mines and Energy to investigate the Ministry of Public Works decision to restore Western Cluster Road User Permit.
The decision by the senators to investigate RUP-220620-004 of Western Cluster road permit comes amidst what the senate terms as continued violations of the Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) between them and government.
The Senate’s decision followed a communication by Bomi County Senator, Edwin Snowe, seeking the plenary attention to investigate the “unhealthy decision” by the Ministry of Public Works to allergy restore the Road User Permit of Western Cluster Limited (WCL).
It can be recalled that the Ministry of Public Works allegedly authorized the company to transport iron ore from the Bomi Hills Mines to the Freeport of Monrovia amidst violations of the terms and conditions within the Mineral Development Agreement as well as the MoU entered into by Government of Liberia and WCL for the resumption of the company’s operations.
According to Senator Snowe, The Ministry of Public Works has allegedly instructed Western Cluster Limited to increase its fleet of trucks from hundred trips per night to two hundred and Fifty trips per night which he sees as a continuous violation of the terms and condition enshrined within the MDA and the MoU signed with the government of Liberia.
Senator Snowe further said that the allowable gross load has increased from 30 to 45 tons per truck using damaged bridges along the Monrovia to Bomi road corridor. He further stressed that these grave violations are not only adding damages to the already dire conditions of the St. Paul Bridge to Bomi Hills Road Corridors but imposing a serious safety hazard to pedestrians plying the road as the Committee is to report its findings in two weeks’ time.
