GANTA, Nimba — Nimba County Senator Thomas Grupee has distanced himself from the third consecutive auction of scrap metal in Nimba County.

Steel equipment and machines that were in use by the Liberian-American-Swedish Mining Company, or LAMCO, were abandoned as a result of the Liberian Civil War that erupted in 1989.

ArcelorMittal, which later took control of the property, turned over the scrap metal to Nimba County during the administration of former County Superintendent Christina Dagadu.

Grupee made his statement during a press conference in Ganta upon his return from Tappita, lower Nimba County, where he had paid a two-day visit.

“As you may know, the scraps left by the former LAMCO Company were turned over to the people of Nimba County by ArcelorMittal through the instrumentality of the Nimba Legislative Caucus; we have been trying to get a buyer for our scraps,” Grupee said.

“As an owner of commodities, when we are selling; we look for the highest bidder because we want to make the maximum profit.”

Grupee said about a year ago, North Star Link and Western Steel — both based in Ghana — competed for the scraps in two separate bidding processes.

He said the first and second biddings witnessed the triumph of Western Steel for the sale of the scraps. However, the Public Procurement and Concession Commission is calling for another bidding, which would be the third process.

Grupee is, therefore, distancing himself from the process because he feels it will not make any difference.

“The rebidding, what difference it will make?” Grupee said. “PPCC is still giving Nimba the right to go ahead with the scraps sale. If you are telling me [for example] to go back for the third time, whereas I have participated in two separate biddings and still not selected; is it this time around that I will succeed? There is no difference,” he said.

In his parting statement, Grupee said Western Steel has proven to be the highest bidder twice and, therefore, should be granted the right to buy the scrap metals.

He said awarding the contract of the scrap sale to Western Steel would benefit the county from both the money that would be generated and from the construction of a steel production plant in Nimba that will create jobs for at least 400 Nimbaians.

The Daily Observer reported that the rebidding was occurring because of complaints by North Star to the PPCC about irregularities in the bidding processes.

Featured photo by Arrington Ballah