An organization under the banner “Grand Bassa Liberia District Three Civil Organization In The Americas (GBALDITCOA)” condemns the brutal death and other unsafe working environmental conditions of our citizens and residents, and holds the company accountable in all respects.
GBALDITCOA is a not-for-profit humanitarian and advocacy group comprised of the sons and daughters of Wee Statutory District in Grand Bassa County, living at home and abroad.
According to a press release signed by Kokpar B. Wohwoh, Correspondent, Committee on Crisis Intervention GBALDITCOA, Solomon B. Reeves , Chairman, Committee on Crisis Intervention GBALDITCOA, and Paul A. Giadyu ,President, GBALDITCOA, many citizens of the Wee Statutory District and employees continue to suffer physical and mental distress as a result of inadequate and reliable safety measures at the plantation.
They mentioned in their press statement that the organization’s attention has been drawn to missing or the disappearance of individuals, including babies at LAC Hospital, kidnapping, cold blooded murders, and explosions, amongst others.
The organization mentioned that most of the incidents are still being investigated by the Government of Liberia for years with no redress.
“As we await the pending investigation and intervention, our emotions and thoughts continue to jiggle us with recurrent thoughts: Who killed Emmanuel Joe? And why? On August 21, 2021, Emmanuel Joe, an employee of the Liberia Agricultural Company (LAC), got killed in a cruel industrial accident at the Company’s rubber processing station”.
Emmanuel Joe, a productive son of Grand Bassa County, met his untimely death while servicing the processing machine.
The group believes that LAC is not only in error for generating this horrible accident, but has failed to provide ideal safety measures to safeguard its employees on active duty and vulnerable patients at its hospital.
GBALDITCOA further demands resolution that will benefit the Liberia Agricultural Company, the families of the late Emmanuel Joe and all other victims as a partner in progress and not to show compassion and compromise for seasonal cash rewards.
We find it puzzling, if not awful, to comprehend that a company with decades of history is inept to provide the ideal occupational safety practices and policies.
Beyond this line, we are compelled to say that LAC should be held liable and appear in a court of competent jurisdiction to address why there are deficiencies in providing the necessary occupational safety procedures for our people.
Therefore, the Grand Bassa Liberia District Three Civil Organization recommends the following to LAC and the Government of Liberia:
“ To discuss the horrifying injuries and deaths of our people at LAC, ensuring proper safety and accountability, To discuss the financial and other benefits to the immediate family (ies), of the employee or employees who got killed on the job”.
They further stated in the release “ we want them to discuss the financial and other benefits to the employee or employees who got injured on the job that result in permanent disability , the Government of Liberia to formulate legislation or enforce existing laws in the field of industrial safety that will ensure corporate compliance and adhering to a wide range of standards designed to protect employees and other stakeholders and for the Government of Liberia to revisit the entire contract agreement between the LAC and Liberia to recalibrate the blunders left behind by our progenitors with a focus on the employees’ safety and sustainable benefits.”
GBALDITCOA is recommending that the Government of Liberia conduct an in-depth review of existence safety and occupational health policies that commensurate with the current day realities and to ensure that LAC Management conducts regular trainings, rehearsals, and mock drills as genuine steps toward solid emergency preparedness and response.
