Africa-Press – Liberia. The Chairman of the Taylor Mayor Community in the Township of Caldwell, Montserrado County, Ernest Bull, has formally complained against China Union Investment to the Caldwell Township Commissioner, Ibrahim Sarpee, accusing the company of failing to contribute to the development of the community in which its head office is located.
Chairman Bull said that despite hosting the head office of China Union Investment, the Taylor Mayor Community has not benefited in any meaningful way from the presence of the multi-million-dollar company.
According to him, the situation has left residents frustrated, particularly as the company continues to operate heavy trucks and equipment through the community without addressing basic infrastructure challenges.
China Union Investment is a major Chinese company operating in Liberia, primarily within the Bong Mines concession area. Over the years, the company has been at the center of several controversies, including environmental violations that led to operational shutdowns, labor disputes involving allegations of worker exploitation and unfulfilled commitments to host communities, as well as legislative scrutiny over its compliance with concession agreements.
While its entry into Liberia was initially welcomed as a catalyst for economic revival, its operations have often been marked by tensions with local communities and lawmakers who have demanded strict adherence to environmental standards and development obligations, although recent reports indicate renewed engagements on local development initiatives.
Speaking in an interview with FrontPage Africa on Monday, January 5, 2026, at his residence in Caldwell, Chairman Bull disclosed that community leaders have on several occasions engaged the management of China Union Investment to solicit support for pressing local needs.
These, he said, include the rehabilitation of the community road and assistance with basic initiatives such as the construction of hand pumps to improve access to safe drinking water.
According to Bull, all such engagements have so far yielded no results. “As I speak to you, China Union Investment trucks ply the community street many times, including bringing their huge equipment to their head office here, but the company has not seen the need to help with the community road, especially during raining season when the community road becomes a huge challenge,” he said.
He explained that the condition of the road worsens during the rainy season, making movement difficult for residents, schoolchildren, and business operators, while at the same time exposing the community to safety risks due to the constant movement of heavy trucks.
“Owing to the company’s refusal to help the community, my office was constrained to do a formal complaint to the office of the Township of Caldwell, Ibrahim Sarpee, for his intervention. We cannot have a multi-million-dollar company office in our community and we cannot benefit from it,” Bull said.
He went on to describe the company’s failure to identify with the community as “inhuman and wicked,” arguing that corporate entities operating within local communities have a moral and social responsibility to contribute to the welfare and development of their host areas.
Chairman Bull further disclosed that Township Commissioner Ibrahim Sarpee has agreed to intervene in the matter and has proposed a meeting involving himself, community leaders, and the management of China Union Investment to address the concerns raised by the Taylor Mayor Community. However, he did not indicate when the proposed meeting is expected to take place.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain comments from the management of China Union Investment regarding the allegations and complaint proved unsuccessful up to press time, as company officials could not be reached.
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