By Politico Staff Writer
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Supreme Minerals Corporation, a new bauxite mining company in Kambia District, northern Sierra Leone, has promised developmental projects for the district.
Mallik Chennam made this commitment during the ceremony for the payment of the company’s surface rent for the mining project in the district to the community people.
A total of six hundred million Leones (Le600, 000,000) was disbursed to the land owning communities. Some 50% of the said amount was disbursed to land owners, 15% to the Kambia District Council, 15% to the Paramount Chief, 10% to the Chiefdom administration, and 10% for the Constituency Development Fund, as per the Mines and Minerals Act 2009.
The Canadian registered mining company is set for an investment of 26 million dollars in the next two years for the first Phase of the project, according to company officials.
Speaking at the ceremony, Paramount Chief and Member of Parliament, PC Bai Farama Tass Bubu Ngbak IV, said the event was a historic one for the district. He noted that they were lucky to have a legitimate mining company to mine their minerals with many developmental programmes lined up for the district.
PC Bai Ngbak IV urged the company to fulfill what they have promised the people, while admonishing his people to cooperate with the company for the long-term mutual benefits of all.
Member of Parliament for Constituency 060 in Kambia, Bai Sama Kamara, expressed joy for the initiative but pleaded with the company to employ residents of Kambia District, while advising landowners to encourage investors with open heart.
Speaking on behalf of the National Minerals Agency (NMA), the Director of Community Affairs, Ibrahim Satti Kamara, noted that Supreme Minerals Corporation had followed all the due procedures to acquire the land from the communities, adding that NMA was closely monitoring whatever mining companies were doing in the country.
CEO Chennam noted that his company is not a stranger in Sierra Leone as it has also been doing Gold mining in Valunia Chiefdom, Bo district. He assured that the company will meet its agreed commitments for the people of Kambia District, especially Magbema and Gbinleh Chiefdom, where their work will be stationed.
Better educational facilities, safe drinking water in communities, local employment, sustainable mechanized farming and construction of sophisticated gynecology hospital for communities are among the development he promised the community.
“My company will employ, for a start, 200 people from January 2021 onwards," he said.
Mohamed Koroma, one of the land owners, expressed joy, noting that the land was a free gift from God; and that it has been lying there for ages without it benefitting them much.
“If a company wants to invest in our lands we will allow them happily as we want development in our communities. We will use the money for something good,” he said.
He called on other land owners not to disturb the company after receiving the money while also calling on the company to think of employing land owners who will want to work for the company.
Copyright © 2020 Politico Online
