20/10/2018
Villagers in Marampa, Maforkie Chiefdoms Angry with Sierramin Bauxite (SL) Ltd Mining Company`
Local residents in over forty one (41) villages in Marampa and Maforkie Chiefdoms, Port Loko District, Northern Sierra Leone are dissatisfied with mining in their chiefdoms.
The villagers said the ongoing Bauxite mining activities being carried out by Sierramin Mining Company had destroyed their livelihood.
They said the company has failed to honour its surface rents and lease agreement in accordance with what they had earlier agreed on.
At a community stakeholders meeting held last week, the chiefdom leaders, including the paramount chiefs, explained in an angry mood that the company had not lived up to its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), hence had shoved them aside only to pay them pittance for their acres of land .
They accused their leaders especially the Members of Parliament, Councilors and Headmen of signing a bad agreement , yet benefiting hugely from the company which had taken all their crop land.
They said company owners had not treated them fairly after several appeals and effort made by their representatives to renegotiate the lease agreement.
The meeting which attracted a huge number of villagers was held at Mabureh Village in Constituency 069 and Ward 252 .
The disgruntled Land owners have threatened to protest if their calls are not adhered to.
Lawyer Bashir Kamara witnessed the meeting.
He said he was there to listen to the plight of ‘’poor citizens’’ to see where he could help.
Mr. Bashir Kamara, a son of the soil, asked indigenes, including Headmen from various villages, to explain their concerns for the fact that those lands must benefit children yet unborn. He vehemently spoke about the absence of a primary school in the midst of President Bio’s Government Free Quality School Education and promised to join the irate people to fight that disadvantage in the community.
Mr. Kamara was furious upon hearing this and seeing with his own eyes that no school, health centre, good road network or other basic amenities were provided for the citizens in that part of the country, he admonished land owners that with unity they can regain their land property.
According to the dissatisfied citizens, they did not know either the amount of money paid to them or the number of acres paid for, adding that some families received only one thousand Leones or below for a period of five years.
Allegedly, the indigenes were not informed of the details in the agreement prior to the signing of the Community Development Agreement (CDA), adding that the agreement was signed on behalf of landowner by the Marampa Section Chief, Pa Alimamy Kapen.
But investigations have revealed that, the agreement between land owners and the mining company dictates that the total acres paid for are eighteen thousand dollars ($18,000) and the total money paid by the company was one hundred and five thousand dollars ($105,000.00) which is equivalent to eight hundred and forty four thousand six hundred and seventy five thousand Leones (844,675,000.00). In that huge amount, according to findings, 50% is for the chief and Honorable Members of Parliament in those constituencies and 50% for land owners.
The supposed beneficiaries of the already sold lands said Government authorities like Paramount Chiefs and community stakeholders allegedly embezzled the biggest share of the money at the disadvantage of the majority.
The indigenes were discouraged as they explained that they were not only asked out during the time the Community Development Agreement (CDA) was made but they were not allowed to make any contributions.
The land owners further accused Paramount Chief, Section Chiefs and other stakeholders of not representing the interest of the people but their own selfish interests.
According to them, they charged the company to pay thirty dollars per acre but the management turned them down until the company voluntarily agreed to pay seven dollars per acre, money they claimed would not take them anywhere except to continue deteriorating their lives.
They demanded that the Community Development Agreement should be signed in the full view of village Headmen and the public.
Calling on the company Public Relations Officer (PRO), Councilor Potho as he is commonly called, to respond to allegations levied against the management of the company, he declined to say anything but promised to respond later when the need arises.
