Twayen Labels Saah Joseph ‘Compromised’ in ArcelorMittal Dispute
- Michael T
- Sep 22
- 1 min read
GANTA, Liberia, Sept. 22 – Political rifts inside Liberia’s Senate spilled into public view on Monday after Senator Nya Twayen Jr, broadcasting live on Voice of Gompa, accused Montserrado County’s Saah H. Joseph of being “compromised” and lacking the moral standing for effective oversight of ArcelorMittal, the steel giant with Liberia’s flagship iron ore concession.
Twayen’s comments were a sharp response to Joseph’s earlier defence of the Senate’s committee visit to ArcelorMittal’s Nimba concession last week. Over the preceding days, Twayen had voiced disappointment with both ArcelorMittal and his fellow lawmakers, charging that core concerns about the company’s Mineral Development Agreement and local benefits were being sidestepped.
Speaking Monday, he alleged Joseph’s private transport businesses had contracts with ArcelorMittal, declaring, “My honorable good friend, Senator Saah Joseph, is already compromised. He benefits from Mittal through contracts. His buses are working with ArcelorMittal — it’s a conflict of interest.”
Joseph, for his part, had spoken first in response to increasing criticism, telling Radio Kergheamahn in Ganta that the site visit was directly prompted by issues Twayen himself had raised at Senate plenary. “Senator Twayen raised a very salient point, and I promised to give him my full support in plenary. What Senator Twayen is doing is an addendum to what I started in 2021,” Joseph said.
But Twayen countered that the committee’s actions lacked transparency and that key senators, including himself, were excluded from the visit that was convened in response to his request. He characterized the Senate’s delegation as “compromised” and claimed some lawmakers had accepted “luxury tours” from the company, undermining accountability and legislative oversight.