A building in Tongo damaged by the activities of OCTEA Diamond Group
By Mohamed Vandi just back from Tongo
The Kimberlite mining blasting conducted in the eastern town of Tongo by OCTEA Diamond Group, formerly called Koidu Holdings, has left several houses damaged in the Kpandabu section of the town, with more than 100 people displaced our investigations have shown.
This was disclosed to Politico by affected property owners during a meeting at Kpandabu Section in Tongo on Saturday 22nd September, 2012 corroborated by other stakeholders.
Chairman of the Affected Property Owners, Bangura Bans, said more than 100 people had vacated their homes as a result of the destruction caused by the “heavy blasting”. He said most of their houses had either crumbled on the ground or had become death traps due to severe cracks caused by the continued explosion exercise.
An old woman displaced by the activity of the company
Bangura maintained that most of the authorities and the average citizens of Tongo knew nothing about the operations of the miner and that the blasting in a residential area without permanent relocation of people constituted a gross violation of the right of the citizens. “Our leaders do not care for the lives of their people. They know that our lives are at risk and they continue to allow dangerous mining operations in our residential areas without precaution,” he told
Politico, adding that their women and children were suffering the most.
Foday Jaward who was introduced as a land-owning family in Kpandabu said that since the start of the operations of Koidu Holdings nobody had told them anything about their landed property, their future or even their safety and security. He accused local authorities including the Chiefdom Speaker Amara Gando of deriving personal benefits at the detriment of the landowners. He said they were not against the mining activity of the company, but stressed that the correct thing should be done to “protect life and property”. He compared the panic caused by the blasting to the rebel war of the 1990s when people used to run helter-skelter for their lives.
“We are suffering and have lost our dignity as human” Amara bellowed, a adding that during the blasting “security men force us out of our homes to a very far distance where we spend more than an hour waiting”. He described such an act as a “violation” of their freedom of movement.
The wife of The Chief Imam of Tongo Hawa Fabbah is displaced with her entire family including her 100-year-old father. She explained in tears that since Koidu Holdings took her photograph near to her damaged house and promised to rebuild it, nothing had been done in that direction. Instead she alleged that she was transferred to another dilapidated structure that cannot accommodate her entire family. Hawa said that the mining was destroying their swamp and plantations located around the mining site.
The Town Chief of Torkpombu 11 Section of Tongo, Mohamed Charles confirmed all the allegations against Koidu Holdings. He said that as one of the direct custodians of the land, he was not aware of any legal agreement about
the operations of Koidu Holdings. He expressed grief over the “destruction and inconvenience caused by the heavy blasting” caused to his people, and urged the central government to intervene in the interest of humanity. “How long will this prospecting continue to destroy our people?” he asked, rhetorically.
The Community Relations Committee (CRC) was formed by Koidu Holdings to liaise between the Company and Community people. Hamidu Modiboh Jalloh is the Secretary. He admitted that the blasting had indeed caused “damage and inconvenience” to the community, but that the company had always come in swiftly to mend the damage and compensate affected people. He said the Company was on the verge of completing the exploration exercise and shall go into full-fledged mining which he said would be of great help to the community. When asked what the company had done so far since the start of operations, Hamidu replied that Koidu Holdings had rehabilitated quarters for town's football team, Gem Stars; provided sand for the Tongo Agriculture School and constructed a culvert between Ngieya and Kansoma.
Jalloh accused members of the Affected Property Owners of engaging in illicit mining within the township. He said the company had always sought the welfare of the people and would not do anything that affected them.
In his Wilkinson Road office, relaxing confidently in a swivel chair, the Public Relations Officer of the company, Ibrahim Sorie confirmed that their blasting exercise had causes destruction to the community, but that such affected property was either paid for or taken care of by the company. He referred to the Affected Property Owners as attention seekers who wanted to emulate what others had done in neighbouring Kono district where the company also operates.
Sorie emphasised that the Company respected humanity and intended to relocate those living around the site when actual mining operation started. He said that as a way of ensuring effective communication between the community people and the company, the Community Relations Community had been formed in Tongo. This committee he said spearheaded the concerns of the people.
