MONROVIA – The Director General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), Dr. Josiah Joekai, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, made a startling revelation during testimony before the Liberian Senate. According to Dr. Joekai, approximately 3,000 Indian nationals are currently employed by ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML), a figure that immediately sparked criticism from lawmakers, particularly Senator Nya Twayen of Nimba County.
“CSA Boss testifying at the Senate: there are 3000 Indians working with ArcelorMittal doing jobs that Liberians should be doing,” Senator Twayen posted on his official Facebook page just minutes after the testimony. The senator’s remarks highlight growing concerns over the company’s labor practices and its commitment to prioritizing local employment.
The issue of AML’s operations in Nimba County has been the subject of increasing scrutiny in recent weeks. On June 13, Senator Twayen wrote to the Senate Plenary requesting a formal investigation into the cost of a $1.4 billion iron ore processing plant constructed by AML in Nimba. He suspects the reported cost may have been grossly inflated.
“An inflated or overstated investment swallows profit and deprives Liberia of receiving dividend, a case with us and ArcelorMittal for 20 years now that has always declared loss instead of profit; we will get to the bottom of this one,” Twayen stated.
Twayen has used his social media platform to intensify public pressure on ArcelorMittal, accusing the company of ignoring the infrastructural needs of communities in its operational areas. In a June 5 post, the senator expressed frustration over the condition of Yekepa, the company’s mining hub.
“AML? You can dedicate another $1 billion plant, if the conditions laid down by the Nimba Caucus are not met, we will resist renewal. What shall it profit Nimba to have a billion-dollar property built by AML in a filthy Yekepa that you have refused to renovate, with a very bad road leading to said billion-dollar property? Look at the muddy road leading to and around the so-called billion-dollar installation… shame. AML will have to yield to the people’s demands or leave. Simple,” he wrote.
A day later, on June 6, the senator further claimed that AML has consistently failed to declare profits over the past two decades, allegedly to avoid paying dividends to the Liberian government as required by law.
“For more than 20 years AML has not declared profit. By law, we are supposed to get the royalty (which they give, even though disproportionately small) and also get dividends by end of year from declared profits. But do you know why they haven’t declared any profit to make us get that dividend? The answer is below: Transfer Pricing,” Twayen alleged.
The Senate is yet to formally announce whether it will launch an investigation into the matter, but pressure from Nimba lawmakers, local citizens, and civil society groups is mounting. As AML pushes forward with its expansion plans, calls for transparency, accountability, and fair labor practices are becoming increasingly urgent.
Meanwhile, as of the revelation by the CSA boss, ArcelorMittal is yet to issue an official response to the allegation.
