By Steven Bockarie Mansaray
Officials of the iron ore miner, African Minerals Limited (AML) last week held a meeting in Kondabaia Diang chiefdom in the northern Koinadugu district to inform the local and traditional authorities about their plan to start drilling and exploration work in the area.
Addressing the meeting, the local MP for Constituency 43 said the coming of AML will provide job opportunities for thousands of locals. Kusan Sesay, MP, later told Politico that when operations started the issue of affected land owners and farmers and other matters would be dealt with.
Some of the youths who spoke to Politico, among them Mohamed Marah, expressed concerns over the expected recruitment. They expressed the fear that it would be done along the lines of party politics, citing the fact that the MP went on radio with a cross section of the members of the All People’s Congress party district executive who took credit for the company’s extending their activities into the company.
The District Secretary of the main opposition SLPP party, Alhaji Lamin Sesay called on the council, Paramount Chiefs and other stakeholders to advocate for the good of all during the recruit process and not just APC members and supporters.
In an interview, the Chief Administrator of the Koinadugu District Council, Sahr Emmanuel Yambasu told Politico that the Koinadugu district council was trying to engage the company to know the content of the exploration agreement. He said they wanted to know its duration and the extent to which the community would be involved at the exploration phase.
© Politico 06/11/13
