Rivercess County Chiefs Beseech Government to Elevate Indigenous Mining Operations to Semi-industrial Status

Monrovia, Liberia: Backed by centuries-old ancestral stewardship and reinforced by modern statutory land protections, traditional governance authority, and local economic aspirations, a delegation of indigenous stakeholders from Kploh District in Rivercess County has officially submitted a petition to the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

The petition demands the elevation of the Palm Group of Companies from artisanal mining status to a fully recognized Class ‘B’ mining operator on their ancestral land.

By: Abraham Sylvester Panto

Chief Bob Kofi Ziah, Speaker of the Traditional Council of Chiefs and Elder, presented the request on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

Chief Zah argued that the people of Kploh, whose land rights are already codified under the Liberia Land Authority’s Community Law Rights Policy, have reached unanimous consensus to voluntarily dedicate portions of their customary land for enhanced mineral exploitation under Class ‘B’ terms, designating the Palm Group of Companies as the lone beneficiary.

Emphasizing infrastructural impact, educational support, and youth employment generated by the company’s limited-scale operations, the petition insists that further empowerment of the Palm Group via a Class ‘B’ upgrade will not only formalize semi-industrial activities but will also unlock broader dividends for local development, particularly in an area historically marginalized in national resource distribution frameworks.

Chief Ziah was accompanied by key traditional figures, including Kploh’s Traditional Queen Madam Rebecca Garsaynee and Palm Group’s Manager Peter Logan.

The delegation underscored that their appeal is neither speculative nor opportunistic but rather a strategic move grounded in years of peaceful collaboration between the local population and the company’s operational footprint under the restrictive boundaries of Class ‘C’ licensing.

Responding to the petition, Mines and Energy Minister Wilmot Paye commended the delegation’s decision to pursue lawful channels of engagement.

Minister Paye noted that the petition provides concrete evidence of community consent, a legal prerequisite for any scale-up in mineral exploitation on customary land, adding that any final decision must follow institutional scrutiny, legal compliance, and regulatory standards.

While refraining from making promises, Minister Paye indicated that the Ministry’s review would be conducted within a relatively short period, noting that the Palm Group’s good standing under its existing Class ‘C’ license will weigh heavily in the evaluation.

According to Minister Paye, Palm Group eligibility for an operational upgrade will be reviewed while acknowledging that such a transition would enable greater economic impact aligned with the petitioners’ development expectations.

For his part, Deputy Minister for Operations William Hines, offering procedural clarity, confirmed that the Palm Group of Companies had already filed a Class ‘B’ license application prior to the submission of the community’s petition.

According to Deputy Minister Hines, this move established a convergence between company intent and local demand—a rare alignment that strengthens the credibility of the petition and potentially expedites the review process.