The Barrister and Solicitor for the people of Manonkoh village in the Port Loko District, Sonkita Conteh Esq. has on Monday, 9th February 2015 written to Timis Mining Corporation-Sierra Leone Limited over recent flooding of farmlands, destruction of crops and the environment at Manonkoh.
According to the Barrister and Solicitor in his letter to Timis Mining Corporation, documents from the Registrar-General’s office indicate that Timis Mining has acquired the Marampa Mines from the British Owned London Mining Company in 2014.
Lawyer Sonkita Conteh went on that either Timis may or may not be aware of existing issues between their assignor and his clients relating to flooding of the latter’s swamp land as a result of mining operations within the Marampa mines which according to the letter has led to widespread destruction of crops, pollution of water sources and destruction of the environment.
The Letter went on that, “consequently, LMC rectified the cause of the flooding within the mines and removed the flood water from my clients’ swamps. They also constructed boreholes and provided food items to my clients. Before your company took control of the mines, LMC and my clients were implementing a farming intervention valued at Le 150 million, which LMC would fund.”
“This involved the acquisition of farming inputs like seeds and farm tools to use on the reclaimed swamp land. On the assurance of LMC my clients went ahead and secured these inputs on credit from various sources and commenced work, planting rice, groundnuts and other items.”
The Program Manager for Sierra Leone Rights to Food Network (SiLNoRF) Lansana Sowa in an exclusive interview with Awoko Newspaper said Government need to embark on a more sustainable approach in addressing the issue of Manonkoh village. He said they had engaged Government Ministries of Agriculture, Lands and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Paramount Chief and other stakeholders in Port Loko District in a bid to solve the saga.
Lansana Sowa said in all their engagement London Mining had dodged taking responsibility in addressing the flooding which Government and the company are aware that they are responsible of doing. He said government don’t need to give free tax holidays to companies operating in the country citing what London mining had done to the people of Manonkoh village and other affected communities.
The Letter from Barrister and Solicitor for residents in Manonkoh Village pointed that, “Sometime in December 2014, my clients began noticing an increase in the water level of their swamp land. Within a few weeks, their crops had been completely submerged by this new wave of rising flood water. I am informed that the chief of the village and the paramount chief have tried without much success to engage your company officials in Marampa.”
The Barrister and Solicitor concluded that, “In view of this, I have been instructed to impress on you the need to address the several matters raised herein with the level of urgency that they require. The wellbeing of my clients, a farming community, is once more at risk. I shall be grateful to hear from you in a matter of days. Should I however not hear from you within 7 working days from the date of this letter, I have peremptory instructions to seek legal redress. I hope this would not be necessary.”
By Mohamed Kabba
Friday February 13, 2015