By Nasratu Kargbo
Member of Parliament Alice Jebbeh Kumabeh from Bonthe has told the House that the river Taia, is faced with pollution due to mining activities in the surrounding communities. She raised this concern on the 17th March 2022 during the second reading of the Mines and Minerals Development Act, 2022.
According to the MP, polluting of the river has been going on for two years now and has affected the livelihood and wellbeing of people living in communities along the river. “It is very unfortunate that the miners are prioritized more, than the thousands of citizens that are living along this river”, she said.
Emphasizing the state of pollution, and how the people have been deprived, she said the water from the river cannot be used for any purpose and that it is so bad that people experience skin diseases when used for bathing.
The MP said her constituents have expressed the view that they are only experiencing such occurrences now unlike what was obtained during the past government.
She said she raised the issue a year ago, but that much has not been done in that regard. “Mr. Minister please do the needful, so that our people can use this water once more. I hope this bill will do due diligence to our rivers”, she said.
Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources Musa Timothy Kabba told the MP that research has shown that other activities such as illicit logging in the forests lead to erosion, washing the mud into the river is responsible for the current state of the river. But he also admitted illicit mining as another cause. The minister claimed such an act cannot be executed without the consent of people he called “unscrupulous stakeholders” in the community, noting that the miners would have to settle into the community before venturing into the illicit mining.
He added that his Ministry, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), security forces, and stakeholders have embarked on robust patrols to make life unattractive for illegal miners.
Parliamentary Chairman of the Mines and Mineral Resources Committee Emmerson Sahr Lamina in his reaction spoke about the passionate concerns raised by MP Kumabeh, which he said should spur the house to debate a compiled report on all affected rivers including Taia. He stated that many recommendations are contained in the report for implementation.
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