By Saio Marrah
Parliament has summoned the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources and the Director of National Mineral Agency to explain the pollution and contamination of the Taia River.
The House also agreed to set up a special select committee that will include members from the committees on Mines and Mineral Resources, Environment, Defence and Water Resources to conduct hearing on reasons behind the contamination of the said river, which is said to have caused so much damage in Bonthe District.
This decision follows a report to parliament by the Member of Parliament, Alice Kumabeh, of Constituency 092 in Bonthe District on Tuesday 16 February on the issue.
According to her, the Taia River has been contaminated with huge toxic material and is dirty in such a way that people are unable to use the water for their usual domestic purposes.
She also said the situation had also affected the marine life in the area.
“The water has been contaminated and is dirty. The people cannot drink it anymore and they don’t use it for any other domestic purposes and the fish are dying or have disappeared and you know one of the main livelihood activities of the people living alongside the river depend on fishing,” the MP said.
This situation, she went on, had led to an outbreak of diarrheal disease in the said constituency.
She said 25 villages in her constituency were affected with a total population of 8,770, among them 1,271 under-5 children.
“Total number of diarrhea cases in 2020: adults 53, under-five children 75; total number of deaths due to the contaminated water: adults three, under-five children seven. My people will not be suffering and dying while the mining companies are getting richer,” she said.
The Chairman of the Mines and Mineral Resources, Saa Emerson Lamina said Alice Kumabeh had earlier informed him about the incident and that he asked her to find out the name (s) of the mining companies that were allegedly causing the problem.
The Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Abass Bundu also instructed the Leader of Government Business, after the request from the Chairman of the Mines and Mineral Resources, for the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources and his Director of National Minerals Agency (NMA) to be summoned to appear before parliament on 23 February to explain to the House the mining agreement and also state the mining company that possibly causing such havoc.
The Leader of Government Business, Sahr Mathew Nyuma also suggested that the special committee should include members of the Committee on Health and Sanitation because, he said, it also borders on health.
The Speaker said the special committee would go to the affected river in Bonthe District to make a direct observation of the situation and also find out the cause and the mining company that could be responsible. The expense of such a visit, he said, would be on the budget of parliament.
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