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DECEMBER 14, 2007
CAVALLA RUBBER PLANTATION
IN MARYLAND COUNTY TURNS INTO AN ELEPHANT MEAT.
Rubber Planters
Association of Liberia is out...... Salala Rubber Industry takes over.
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| Remnants of Central Office |
On December 1, 2007 the Rubber Planters Association of Liberia turned over
the Cavalla Rubber Plantation to Salala Rubber Industry.
Cavalla Rubber Plantation, formally Firestone Plantation in Pleebo, Maryland
County has suffered several setbacks since Firestone pulled out of the Plantation in December 1983. In 2006 the Government
of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ushered in the Rubber Planters Association of Liberia to Manage the Plantation so as to bring stability
from several strike actions between the workers and the former Management team headed by Francis Karpeh.
On December 1, 2007 the Rubber Plantation Association of Liberia, headed by
Mr. Harrison Karnwea, was mandated by the Government of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to turn over the Plantation to Salala Rubber
Industry. The big question is will Salala Rubber Industry deliver the goods that is expected of an investor by providing good
health services, better education, good wages for the employees and several other immunities that is lacking in the Plantation?
The Cavalla Rubber Plantation has been considered an elephant meat in the Southeastern
Region for several years under past governments. The Plantation have hosted several Companies and Management teams that would
come with good promises for the employees and the County but will not deliver any of those promises until their term is over.
On most occasions, they would turn over salary arrears owed their employees to the incoming Management team. The Plantation
has been Managed at the detriment of the employees over the past years. Employees, most especially the tapers, live in houses
that could be considered chicken houses and the hospital is without a doctor or facilities to admit patients. Cavalla
Rubber Plantation is the second largest Rubber Plantation in Liberia; it is next to Firestone Rubber Plantation in Harbel,
Margibi County.
HISTORY
OF CAVALLA RUBBER PLANTATION
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| Tappers' home |
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| Tappers' home |
Firestone pulled out in December 1983. The Government
of Liberia, under the Samuel Kanyon Doe administration, turned the Plantation over to Sipef in 1984. Sipef Managed the Plantation
up to 1989. She pulled out because of the Liberia Civil crisis. In 1991 Sipef came back to the Plantation but this time they
were called Nacom Sipef for reasons best known to them. Nacom Sipef managed the Plantation up to 1992 and pulled out.
In 1996 the Plantation was turned over to a Local
Company called Agrocom by the Charles Taylor Government. Agrocom managed the Plantation up to 1998 and turned it over to Sofenco
who managed it up to the year 2000. In 2000 Charles Taylor Government gave the Plantation to Gino…. owned by Mr. Sam
Fawaz of Maryland Wood Processing Industries. They managed the Plantation up to 2003 and pulled out because of Model rebels
invasion of the Southeastern region. In 2003 Model rebels give the Plantation to Liberia Rubber Company headed by Kamil Sarafadine.
He managed the Plantation up to 2004. In 2004, through the instrumentality of the then Maryland Legislative Caucus, the Gyude
Bryant Government give the Plantation to Anthony Quejay who managed up to 2005. In 2005 the same Government gives the Plantation
to Mr. Francis Karpeh. He manages it up to 2006. In 2006 there were a series of strike actions by the employees so the Government
under the administration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf gave the Plantation to the Rubber Planters Association headed by Mr. Harrison
Karnwea who managed up to December 1, 2007. Presently, the Salala Rubber Industries is in control of the Plantation.
With all these Companies managing the Plantation,
the workers continue to live under deplorable conditions. The Plantation roads are in bad condition and health services are
poor. The Plantation’s structures are not been renovated and the elephant meat which is the Plantation, continues to
be butchered without any benefit to the County.
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THE PLEEBO-HARPER HIGWAY
IS IN DEPLORABLE CONDITION
Motorcycle is the best mobile for commuters
The
plea by Marylanders to the Government of Liberia and the United Nations Mission in Maryland County to recondition the Major
Pleebo-Harper Highway has fallen on deaf ears. The Pleebo-Harper highway has become impassable and commuters are forced to
ride on transport bikes that are not guaranteed for safety.
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| Harper-Pleebo highway |
The Senegalese Contingent of UNMIL assigned in the County have
deliberately refused to use their motor graders because according to them their machines were not intended to recondition
the streets of the County. The government has since promised to recondition the roads in the dry season. The dry season is
here and the public works agents are seen passing around in their vehicles. When we contacted them they said they are in the
County to first recondition the Pleebo to Barclayville highway which is impassable before they will recondition the Pleebo
to Harper highway |
