The iron ore company, African Minerals Ltd., has completed payment of Le 1,099,000,000 as 2012 surface rent for mining and rail operations to about ten chiefdoms in the Bombali, Tonkolili and Port Loko districts, north of Sierra Leone.
About this same time last year the company paid some Le 1,087,000,000 for the same purpose, making it what the company refers to as an important annual event on the calendar of their corporate activities.
Logistics manager of AML, Musa Alie Bangura, accompanied by corporate affairs and community relations manager, Mustapha Kamara, said that the process of payment was reached to “promote transparency and accountability in the extractive industry in line with standard best practice”.
He called for the judicious use of the money and encouraged local authorities to prioritise their development needs in a way that touches the lives of the ordinary people. He assured of his company’s continued commitment to corporate social responsibility, apart from such annual payment of surface rents.
Deputy mineral resources minister Abdul Ignosi Koroma told beneficiary communities that the revised payment now in cheques written in the names of chiefdom administrations for onward distributions, as opposed to cash, was “transparent and in adherence” to the devolution process under the Local Government Act of 2004.
After receiving the cheques from the management of African Minerals, the minister thanked the company for “an exemplary commitment to your statutory responsibility”. Quoting Section 34/a of the Mines and Minerals Act of 2009, which apportions 50% payment to land owners, individuals or families, while the District Council takes 15%, the paramount chiefs get 15%, the chiefdom administration takes 10% and the remaining 10% goes into the constituency development fund.
Deputy minister of local government Adiru Kalokoh, lauded the event which he said would impact the lives of the beneficiary communities. He presented the cheques to the appropriate beneficiaries but warned against any misuse of the money meant for community development.
In Port Loko, the chairman of parliamentary committee on mines, Chernoh Bah cited instances of how Paramount Chiefs in the affected areas had demonstrated harmony when it came to dealing the company’s rent. He likened the occasion to the aspirations of government’s mantra of ‘Agenda for Change.’
The occasions in all three districts attracted impressive.
