The Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) – Action Yearning for Community Empowerment – has presented a meritorious certificate of award to Mr. Gerben Haringsma, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Socfin Agricultural Company in Sahn Malen Chiefdom, Pujehun District.

According to the NGO, they presented the award to the CEO and the company in recognition of his invaluable contributions to the Sierra Leonean community and the economy.

Receiving the award, Mr. Gerben commented that as the principal shareholder and Country Director of Socfin in Sierra Leone, he felt proud and highly honored.

He disclosed that he started the company in 2010 and 11 years on, he said he was proud that the company is the largest operation in Sierra Leone and with the addition of its state-of-the-art oil processing mill, Socfin is the biggest such operator in the entire Africa.

Mr. Gerben, who attributed the success to staff who helped him build the company, stated: “I am honored when youths honor me because they are the future.” “When youths recognize my contribution to the economy of Sierra Leone, I feel proud,” he added.

Mr. Gerben, who disclosed that he has never received any award from the Sierra Leonean community, said Socfin has provided many opportunities dedicated to the youths to better themselves in the
future.

These, he said, include investments in food security, building of schools including secondary schools that are among the best in the country, provision of microcredit to women and youths, among others.

Mr. Gerben however lamented that there were many people that wanted to destroy the country and treat they should get them out of here.

Link: http://www.thesatellitenews.com/index.php/en/other-news/746-socfin-ceo-bags-meritorious-award

PDF article: 2021 12 16 SOCFIN CEO Bags meritorious award

Socfin Agricultural Company Sierra Leone Limited has spearheaded academic education in Malen Chiefdom in Pujehun District in fulfillment of President Bio and gov’t flagship project to once more remake Sierra Leone the Athens of West Africa.

In-line with the aspirations of the new direction Socfin  has from 2014 to 2020 academic school year provided the total sum of one hundred  and two million Leones in awarding scholarships to 252 successful BECE candidates drawn from Malen Junior Secondary School .To keep the aspirations alive and kicking Socfin has constructed modern school buildings with Offices and furniture at Sijoe, Mallay, Bendu, Kotumahun of recent whilst additional buildings are currently been constructed to upgrade Malen Junior Secondary school to the impressive and standardalised status of a Senior Secondary school Soonest .

Speaking at a very special and jammed  packed Administrate Court Barry in Sahn Township on Friday September 13th 2019 marking the payment of an additional 13 .5 million Leones to continuing students, Chiefdom Speaker SR Moiguah described Hon. PC BVS Kebbie, President of Socfin Mr. LUC Boedt, Socfin Shareholder cum Board member, Mr. Gerben Haringsma, Socfin General Manager, Mr. Philip Tonks as rightful partners and perfect combinations working in concert to develop war torn Malen Chiefdom and to help revamp the economy of Sierra Leone as a whole.

The Chiefdom Speaker further encouraged all particularly true land owners to continue to cooperate with staff and management of Socfin Sierra Leone for an all-out win-win situation which the Speaker reiterated is partly achieved.

The Chiefdom Speaker in turn lavished praise adjectives on Socfin for leaving up to its CSR ,citing the award of  scholarships , comprehensive road works , cultivating boli and IVS rice farms  for Upper and Lower Malen, providing Micro loans to boost petty traders , providing felt needed facilities for the health sector including ambulances, building additional health facilities with solar lights , providing jobs for over four thousand workforce , mostly youths , contributing to the country’s GDP amongst many others

Making their contributions both the Liaison  Manager, Mr. Joseph Belmoh and  Mr. EC Kuyateh called on the students together with parents to make proper use of the opportunities brought to the doorsteps of successful BECE candidates for the past years .

The two in turn made mentioned of the criteria which they stated must be strictly followed with the view of providing quality education in and beyond Malen Chiefdom.

Earlier the General Manager Mr. Philip Tonks once more reassured all of Socfin fullest commitment to revamping the economy and rebuilding war torn Malen and Pujehun District and the country in general.

Various statements were made by most stakeholders all in commendation of the good work of Socfin whilst those of the security sector once more called on all to keep the peace for better development to come to the Chiefdom.

For their parts parents as well as school authorities and students alike thanked Socfin for good work done and further promised to live up to expectations.

In the leased area, there are a total of 11,000 adults whose taxes are fully paid by Socfin, while the company also pays directly to the Government of Sierra Leone or Government agencies for the 18,000 hectares of the leased land since the agricultural company only holds a sublease. Therefore, Socfin has NO influence on payment of the aforesaid money and Joseph Rahall, who is determined to tarnish the reputation of the company at all cost, is privy to this. It must also be emphasized here that contrary to claims by Joseph Rahall that “the company through its surveyors and the Paramount Chief cheated them during surveys,” Socfin did not take ANY piece of land without the owner agreeing or accepting the compensation money. Besides, various plots of land are untapped and Rahall knows this very well too!  Surveys were also done with the owner/user of the land, the Village Chief and Government Representative fully in attendance. Mr. Rahall also knows very well that ALL records pertaining to these transactions are available to the public and can be obtained from both at the chiefdom authorities and Socfin upon simple request.But despite these records are available, Joseph Rahall would prefer to distort the fact in order to set the Malen indigenes against the company for what only God knows.

The 49,000 Joseph Rahall stated in his article as being the total population of Sahn Malen Chiefdom is a figment of his imagination. Even Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) that conducted the last Population and Housing Census (PHC) in December, 2015 would disagree with that figure. It would sound strange, for instance, that the male population in the chiefdom is more than the female population when, in fact, the total population of Sierra Leone shows that the female population is more than the male population. What about the population of the elders and children which Mr. Rahall failed to mention?

Joseph Rahall is also challenged to produce the names of Socfin employees earning below the minimum wage of Le500,000.00 (Five hundred thousand Leones). His pathological lies coupled with the so-called Shiaka Sama’s nonsensical remarks without checking has done serious disservice to the people of Malen in particular and Sierra Leoneans in general. Let it be known to detractors like Joseph Rahall that Socfin is answerable to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security or the Sierra Leone Labour Congress (SLLC) in terms of employment and not to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) or Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that have bad intentions for the company.For Joseph Rahall to liken the task in the palm oil plantation to “slave labour” is complete hallucination and madness, let alone the painting of an ugly picture of women have witnessed their children drop out of school over the years because they cannot afford school charges, and how their husbands are dying. These are all totally untrue but since Joseph Rahall and his like minds are bent on undermining the operations of Socfin, they would do anything to bring the company down. Mr. Rahall must be stopped from spreading pathological lies about Socfin because such negative attitude would scare away foreign investors.

Also, Joseph Rahall made mention of the ING Bank in Brussels as though he has some inside information from the bank, but his intention is to deceive the general public about Socfin. What arrant nonsense is he writing about the loan or does he want to block the financing of loans to investors in Sierra Leone? But the truth would come out when the Government of Sierra Leone would caution Mr. Rahall to substantiate the damning allegations he always making against Socfin.

Moreover, all lease agreements are lodged at the at the Registrar General’s Office and complaint Joseph Rahall that he could not get them from Socfin clearly exposed his ignorance on lease agreements in the country? With regards to how much the company pays to Government or Government bodies for the 18,000 hectares of leased land, he needs to employ a primary school-goer to simply calculate 18.000 x $12.5.

On the issue of human rights violations, they are only violated by individuals or institutions that deprive people of making ends meet. How Socfin can violate people’s human rights when the company’s conditions of service for workers are in line with international best practice? No one is force to work on the plantation but workers are gainfully employed by the company. Perhaps Joseph Rahall in his imagination wants to recreate communism in Malen without the foggiest idea that introducing communism in Sierra Leone will and cannot work. Neither will he or his partners ever put a bowl of rice on the table of the poor indigenes except their own. 

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Socfin has 12,500 hectares out of the 27, 000 hectares of Sahn Malen Chiefdom in Pujehun District. The company has only planted about 40% of the entire hectares that comprised Malen.

In the leased area, there are a total of 11000 adults whose taxes are fully paid by Socfin, while the company also pays directly to the Government of Sierra Leone or Government agencies for the 18,000 hectares of the leased land, since the agricultural company only holds a sub-lease.

Socfin has no influence on payment of the aforesaid money and some of those bent on tarnishing the reputation of the company at all cost, are privy to this.

It must also be emphasized here that contrary to claims that “the company through its surveyors and the Paramount Chief cheated them during surveys,” Socfin did not take any piece of land without the owner agreeing or accepting the compensation money.

Besides, various plots of land are not utilised. Surveys were also done with the owner/user of the land, the Village Chief and Government Representative fully in attendance.

ALL records pertaining to these transactions are available to the public and can be obtained from both at the chiefdom authorities and Socfin, upon simple request.

But despite the availability of these records, some people would prefer to distort the facts in order to set the Malen indigenes against the company.

The 49,000 alleged to be the total population of Sahn Malen Chiefdom is a figment of the imagination of those promoting discord. Even Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) that conducted the last Population and Housing Census (PHC) in December 2015 would disagree with that figure.

Anti-Socfin protesters must also be challenged to produce the names of Socfin employees earning below the minimum wage of Le500, 000.00 (Five hundred thousand Leones).

These pathological lies coupled with the so-called Shiaka Sama’s nonsensical remarks without checking has done serious disservice to the people of Malen in particular, and Sierra Leone in general.

Socfin is answerable to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security or the Sierra Leone Labour Congress (SLLC) in terms of employment, and not to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) or Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that have bad intentions for the company.

Those likening working in the palm oil plantation to “slave labour”, must stop spreading pathological lies about Socfin because such negativity would scare away foreign investors.

On the issue of human rights violations, they are only violated by individuals or institutions that deprive people of making ends meet.

How can Socfin violate people’s human rights when the company’s conditions of service for workers are in line with international best practice?

No one is forced to work on the plantation. All those working for the company are gainfully employed by the company.

The vice president of Sierra Leone and ministers are engaging with the community, the company and stakeholders, to find a lasting solution to the dispute and this process must be given a chance – not undermined.

https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/socfin-dispute-setting-the-records-straight/

After a series of consultative meetings with stakeholders of the chiefdom by president Bio and his vice president – Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh aimed at collecting first hand evidence about the Malen dispute, president Bio has delegated responsibility to the vice president and a few government ministers to resolve the dispute.

Hence, last Friday 9th November 2018, the vice president and delegation left Freetown for Sahn Malen Chiefdom, Pujehun District.

In Sahn Malen, the vice president and delegation held fruitful close door discussions with Paramount Chiefs of the district and the Malen Affected Land Owner Association (MALOA).

At a general meeting with the people of Malen, which was held at the Court Barray, the vice president thanked the people of Malen for voting for president Julius Maada Bio as President of the country.

Stating the purpose of their visit to the chiefdom, the vice president said they are in the chiefdom to find a final solution to the outstanding crisis which has taken about seven years. He said the president is concern about dissension in the chiefdom and he is not happy.

To solve this, he said, the president has set up a committee headed by himself to find a lasting solution to the crisis, adding that the responsibility of any government is to look after the interest of the people.

As a government, he said, their responsibility is to unite the people of Malen and SOCFIN Agricultural Company by looking into issues of agricultural land, the concerns of SOCFIN workers, transportation, compensation and water crisis.

He appealed to the people of Malen including the Independent Member of Parliament, the company, Paramount Chiefs and all stakeholders to adhere to a peaceful resolution. He said that the process will not end immediately as they as a government will ensure that the concerns of all parties are met.

Vice president Jalloh encouraged the people not to take the law into their hands, calling on anyone aggrieved to direct their concerns to the committee.

He advised them to allow the company to operate in a peaceful atmosphere as the president has attracted more investors to the country. He said if they continue to fight the company, investors will be frightened to come to the country to invest.

The Minister of Internal Affairs also encouraged the people of Malen to keep the peace as government is working towards reaching an amicable solution to the dispute. He called on them to desist from acts that will result in conflict and to find a peaceful solution to the dispute.

The Minister of Local Government – Anthony Brewah encouraged the community to embrace investors in order for the president to achieve his promises made to the people of Sierra Leone.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture in his statement, called on the people of Malen Chiefdom to help protect the properties of investors; and for investors to pay keen attention to the interest of the people.

Independent Member of Parliament, Hon. Shaka Sama, in his remarks thanked the VP and delegation for proffering a peaceful resolution to the long impasse that has been eating into the peaceful atmosphere of the chiefdom. He called on his people to be peaceful and respect law and order.

The Paramount Chief, Chairman of Pujehun District and Coordinator of MALOA also made useful statements.

The company has commenced full operations in a peaceful atmosphere after the visit of the vice president and his delegation.

Vice president Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh and delegation also visited several communities including Kortumahun and Banaleh to engage the people to be peaceful and have confidence in the mediation process.

https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/socfin-dispute-government-looks-for-a-resolution/

The façade of allegations coming from MALOA accusing the multi-national company of land grabbing was resists by residents of Malen including the chiefdom administration who extol the transformation of their chiefdom by the agricultural company.

“We need more development in our chiefdom,” they said, citing that Sahn-Malen was a ghost town before the interception of Socfin Agricultural Company, but the chiefdom is gradually moving in terms of development.The chiefdom authority also called on the central government to intervene in the protracted issue in the chiefdom between MALOA and the company.

“We are calling on the central government to intervene in this long-drawn-out issued which is derailing development in the chiefdom.” They urged.

The villagers also called on the agricultural company and the chiefdom authority to forget about the past and concentrate on the future which according to them will see Malen chiefdom in rapid development together with the support of the central government.

Moiguah is the Chiefdom Speaker of Sahn-Malen Chiefdom he confirm to Premier News that the chiefdom authority has times without numbers engaged various splinter groups like MALOA to work with the agricultural company for the betterment of the chiefdom and the district as a whole.

“During our Paramount Chief realm in parliament he engages both the central and local government to find amicable way to settle the impasse in between MALOA and the company but all prove futile”. He explains.According to the Chief Robert Moiguah, Sheka Sama is the sarcoma in the chiefdom with his inciting and misguided statement that continued to divide the minds of the people.

Mr. Moiguah urged the central government to find a lasting solution for peace and tranquility to prevail in the chiefdom and the district as a whole.

According to the Member of Parliament, the company has stolen the land from the people leaving the villagers hapless to do their usual farming practices.

He alleged among others things that the chiefdom authority has ganged against the people by depriving them from their land and other benefits.

The Independent Parliamentarian according to our information is reluctant to dialogue with the company citing frivolous excuses that are acceptable.

“Sheka Sama should be intelligence enough to know that he has no business with Socfin Agricultural Company but the government of Sierra Leone, as a Parliamentarian he should know better, he should stop the incitement and help rebuild war-torn Malen,” messages from residents of the chiefdom.

The chiefdom people also damn the bogus claim made by the Member of Parliament where he publicly tell the people to steal from the plantation of the company.
Random interview by this medium also confirmed the statement of Mr. Sheka Sama urging the villagers to pilfered from the company plantation.

“The continuous attack by our brother is given the investors unpleasant and unfriendly atmosphere in the district, we are appealing to President Julius Maada Bio to intervene in this protracted issue once and for all.”

Read the original article: http://www.thespectatornewspaper.sl/articles/no-land-grabbing-malen-chiefdom

SAC works daily to set up a transparent and constructive dialogue with its local stakeholders. With the Pujehun District Council meetings have been set up to further deliberate and dialogue on harmonizing such relationship whilst moving forward for the benefit of this chiefdom and the country.
It is therefore regrettable that one stakeholder, MALOA represented by Hon. Sheka Sama and supported by a Belgian NGO, FIAN, is inciting people to violence and theft.

It could be recalled that over the years, Siaka Sama and the Green Scenery, a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) have been campaigning against the operation of Socfin Agricultural Company that has invested millions of United States Dollars on oil palm plantation in that chiefdom and has provided job opportunity for hundreds of citizens including indigenes of Sahn Malen.

According to impeccable sources, Siaka Sama and Joseph Rahall have approached Socfin Agricultural Company for negotiations, but the company said they should not approach them directly and rather referred them to the government and the local authorities in Pujehun District.

The sources added that it was the refusal of the company to negotiate with Siaka Sama and Joseph Rahall that the two decided to travel to Belgium and engage a company that operates against the interest of Socfin Agricultural Company – FIAN.

Over the years, both the former Member of Parliament for the People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) and Green Scenery have been inciting indigenes of Sahn Malen to go against the operations of the company even though the company has been operating legally in the district and has successfully went into an agreement with government and the local authorities before any commencement of operation in the country.

The former MP, who has denied admonitions from government and the local authorities in Pujehun District to stop inciting people against Socfin Agricultural Company, and would do everything to end the operation of the company in that part of the country, including destroying the image of the country abroad.

He has been conspiring with Joseph Rahall of the Green Scenery to tarnishing the rebranded image of the country as long as the agricultural company continues to operate in the country.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff at State House, Mr. Conton Sesay is preparing a definitive analysis on the alleged unrest and land issues in Sahn Malen Chiefdom.

Read the original article here : http://www.salonetoday.com/sierra-leoneans-destroy-country-image-abroad/