Gives US$25,000 Scholarship Check
Monrovia, Liberia – China Union is trying to mend its reputation in Bong County by contributing to the community’s healthcare and education systems. China Union acknowledged that it had abandoned almost all of its obligations under the terms of its Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) in Liberia.
The business gave a US$25,000 check to the Fuamah Scholarship Committee last week in order to help brilliant students further their education. Also, China Union gave over US$2,000 in medical supplies and $1,000 worth of educational supplies to the Fuamah Hospital.
Following the discovery by a specialist House Joint Committee that China Union had flagrantly broken its obligations under the MDA, these measures were taken. The Liberian House of Representatives fined the corporation and ordered it to provide US$40,000 in medication and school materials within six months of the committee’s investigation.
As a result, China Union has acted swiftly to restore the Bong Mines-Handii Road in accordance with the House’s orders.
In addition, China Union fulfilled a long-overdue social security payment for its employees by paying US$150,000 to the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation.
The “Fuamah District Scholarship Fund Account” is managed by Massaquoi Shine Shilling, Chairman of the Scholarship Committee and Principal of Children of Africa School System in Bong Mines; Hampton B. Giddings, Commissioner of Fuamah District; and Frederick G. David, Chairman of the Fuamah District Citizens Association.
Commissioner Giddings expressed his mixed emotions about the community finally receiving some benefits from China Union, a company that has extracted iron ore for years without contributing to the local area.
Commissioner Hampton B Commissioner Giddings
“We want to thank our new lawmaker, Hon. Foday E. Fahnbulleh, for making this possible. Without him, we wouldn’t be talking about money from China Union today,” Giddings said. “For me, it is God working through him to help the poor people of our land who lack the power and voice to make change happen.”
Massaquoi Shine Shilling, Chairman of the Fuamah Scholarship Committee, noted that this is the first time China Union has made a direct payment to the host community in all the years it has operated in the district.
“We want to thank our District #7 lawmaker. We have been here year in and year out, and to know that China Union can give this kind of money for the young people in our district, especially for education, is still surprising to some of us.”
“We pledged that the money would go toward helping “deserving youths” in Fuamah pursue their education, with the committee maintaining complete accountability.”
The chairman of the Fuamah Scholarship Committee, Massaquoi Shine Shilling, and Representative Foday E. Fahnbulleh represents District #7 in Bong County sent a thank-you note to China Union Investment Company and shared a copy of the scholarship financing check on social media “Facebook.”
He expressed gratitude to the China Union for meeting its social obligations under the MDA and for contributing the first US$25,000 of the $50,000 scholarship fund. Fahnbulleh added that he hoped to use the remaining $25,000 to carry out the scholarship program to the fullest.
Rep. Fahnbulleh responded that while he was hopeful the scholarship program would positively impact the youth, his satisfaction with China Union’s recent commitments would depend more on how his constituents perceived the company’s operations than on any financial contribution.
He alleged that the company had secretly flipped ownership to another entity without informing the Liberian government.
Rep. Fahnbulleh
“If they changed ownership and are now owned and operated by another state-owned company, they should have informed us. We, as a nation, have the right to know. Our investigation found that China Union, which operates the iron ore mining concession in Bong County, is owned by China Baowu Steel Group, a Chinese state-owned enterprise. This ownership change occurred after China Union (Hong Kong) Mining Co., Ltd. went bankrupt in 2015. China Baowu, one of the largest steel producers globally, has since taken over the operations and is actively shipping iron ore from Liberia. This marks a significant shift from the original ownership by China Union (Hong Kong) Mining Co., Ltd., the initial investor in the Bong Mines project.“
China Union has not responded to the most recent allegations questioning its ownership in spite of these developments.
