Thousands of residents from Liberia and Sierra Leone have converged on the chiefdom headquarter town of Faama and its environs in the Nomo chiefdom Kenema district.
The residents disappear in the evening and reappear in the morning because they are all engaged in illicit gold mining in the Gola Rainforest National Park in the Nomo axis.
Most residents I spoke to disclosed that they have their bosses in the cities of Kenema, Bo and Freetown and some do not rule out the involvement of the Paramount chief and other stakeholders of Nomo chiefdom of having hands in the illicit mining.
The rangers and forest guards in collaboration with some armed state security are making effort to put the situation under control but yet still to no avail as some illicit miners still go through their net. Those who fall in the net of the forest guards are usually taken to the Kenema police division and end up in the magistrate court where they receive jail terms.
It can be recalled that on the 3rd of December 2011 the president of Sierra Leone Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma declared Gola Forest as the Gola Rainforest National Park in a ceremony held in a small village of Lalehun in the Guara chiefdom Kenema district, where thousands graced the ceremony among them local and international diplomats. The president in his words said his government will not at any time allow any illegal activities in the Gola Rainforest National Park. He says whosoever carries out any illegal activity in the Gola Rainforest National Park will face the full penalty of the law.
He appealed to the chiefs and local communities in the seven Gola chiefdoms in the east and south of the country to continue to recognize the Gola Forest. He called on all to work within the frame work of the law, adding that the Gola forest is for the community because of the benefits.
The Gola Rainforest National Park (GRNP) is important for the region, country and the rest of the world. The benefit is more than the illegal mining and logging. He pointed out that the people live off the forest for their survival and because of that the Gola Forest Programme and Across the River Trans-boundary peace park project for Liberia and Sierra Leone has an alternative livelihood support for the community people. For them as government they too will look into the proposal and improve on it. As a government President Koroma said he wants all to know his position about the GRNP and it is on no certain term that they will allow illegal mining and logging and other activities to go on in the GRNP.
With the government of Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma showing its position in terms of conserving the Gola Rainforest National Park yet still the people of Nomo chiefdom in the Kenema district and others across Sierra Leone and Liberia have ignored the presidential order and are currently carrying on illegal activities in the Gola Rainforest National Park in the East and South of the country.
Speaking to Hon Marcus Kallon about the illegal gold mining going on at Nomo chiefdom, he confirmed that the situation is getting worse but they will do everything possible to curtail the situation. He appealed to his people to respect the president’s order as conservation is the only way out. A resident Mattu Gibrila from Koya chiefdom described the act of the Nomo residents as a “Fit yeye” or disrespect to the president for going against his wish by carrying out illegal activities in the Gola Rainforest National Park.
By Saffa Moriba
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