'Liar, Not Leader': Activist Blasts Senator Twayen over ArcelorMittal Attacks

Monrovia, Liberia: In a searing statement that has ignited a tense political atmosphere in Nimba County, renowned civil society advocate Armstrong Gobac Selekpoh has branded Senator Nya D. Twayen, Jr., a dishonest and desperate politician whose recent attacks on ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) are not only misleading but a betrayal of the very people he claims to represent.

He accused the senator of ignoring overwhelming evidence of AML’s massive contributions simply to score cheap political points.

“Senator Twayen is not criticizing AML for the people; he’s doing it for himself. He’s lying. He’s scared of the superintendent’s rising popularity and is trying to distract Nimbaians with noise,” Selekpoh told K-NEWS.

Senator Twayen had convened a press conference on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, questioning the value of AML’s multibillion-dollar investment in Liberia. The senator accused the company of failing to meet its Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) obligations.

But in reaction, Selekpoh described Senator Twayen's claims as “intellectually dishonest,” contrasting that AML has already fulfilled 14 of 21 commitments, including full railway rehabilitation, reactivation of Buchanan Port, and expansion of the Yekepa Vocational Training Center.

“Is Nya blind, or just bitter?” Selekpoh asked, highlighting that AML has awarded 99 advanced scholarships, paid over US$424 million in taxes and royalties, enrolled more than 1,000 children in AML-supported schools, and invested in healthcare and biodiversity. “He knows the facts. He’s just playing dirty politics.”

The activist revealed that AML has not only maintained its operations under challenging conditions but has also launched large-scale local recruitment, training nearly 1,000 youths in fence line communities, sending over 80 young Nimbaians for advanced driving training, and hiring more than 150 Liberians for technical positions that were once inaccessible.

Selekpoh went deeper, exposing what he called Twayen’s “legacy of silence and inaction.”

He reminded Nimbaians that while at NASSCORP, Twayen never supported youth initiatives, student groups, or community development, and in 2013, even defended the seizure of the Nimba County Social Development Fund during a crisis.

“Where was Nya when AML built clinics, sent workers abroad for surgery, and supported Nimba University with US$50,000 annually?” Selekpoe asked. “What has he ever done for this county besides hiding behind press statements and empty sound bites?”

Selekpoh accused Senator Twayen of being hypocritical, claiming that while AML was working, Senator Twayen was “milking NASSCORP and doing nothing for the people.”

He added that Twayen’s campaign against AML is fueled by fear, not facts, and warned citizens not to let personal politics derail progress.

“Nya Twayen is trying to tear down what others are building. If he has a better plan for development, let him show us. If not, he should stop lying to our people,” Selekpoh said.

The activist concluded by urging national leaders and citizens to defend development over division and stand with facts, not fabrications. “This is not about AML. It’s about truth versus lies, progress versus sabotage. Nya Twayen has chosen lies, and we will not let him mislead Nimba.”