Following the impasse between Koidu Limited, a subsidiary of Octea Group, and its workers, the country’s First Lady got entangled in the whole saga, making it as if it is an issue between the First Lady and Koidu Limited.
This has made Sierra Leoneans forget about the whole issue of decades of human rights violations that have been perpetrated by Koidu Limited.
Koidu Limited is the biggest diamond mining company in Sierra Leone, making millions of dollars, but at the same time the country is struggling to meet its socio-economic needs, while at the same time the workers are struggling to get better conditions of service.
The workers of the company are not making new demands; they are simply saying that their contract, which was signed in dollars, should be implemented at the current exchange rate instead of the exchange rate that dates back to 2016. They are also saying that they should have clean drinking water and proper sanitation in the mines and that they should be paid for overtime.
These are not demands that cannot be met by the company, but the company has decided that they will go into operation and at the same time lay off over 1,000 Sierra Leoneans, leaving Koidu Town a sorry place with everyone crying.
Mining in Sierra Leone is governed by the Mines and Mineral Development Act of 2022, which repealed and replaced the Mines and Minerals Act of 2009. The Act introduces new provisions for exploration, mines and mineral development, sale, and export for the socio-economic benefits of the people of Sierra Leone.
As it is, the act emphasizes transparent and accountable management of the minerals sector in line with international best practices and at the same time enhances employment practices to the welfare of communities affected by mining activities, including measures to reduce the negative impact of exploration and mining on life, property, and the environment.
The Act is one of the best, but what is lacking in the Act is giving opportunities to Sierra Leoneans or Sierra Leonean companies to own some of these mines. The people have seen recent revolutions in Guinea in which the president has terminated over 50 mining licenses, while in Burkina Faso the president is coming up with pro-country policies for their mines.
Although those countries are operating under a military regime, their “pro-country policies” in their mines and God-given resources have seen people in Africa celebrating them. It is the same “pro-country” policy that Donald Trump is embarking on in America on the business front so that America and its people will benefit hugely.
In view of this, in Sierra Leone, we have seen a situation in which a foreigner who came into the country with nothing no sooner got involved in our mines than they became millionaires with two private jets. Also, we have seen a situation in which foreign companies in the mines continue to give procurements and jobs to their brothers in China, the UK, or the US, for which there are capable locals in the country.
The Koidu Limited impasse should make us think out of the box to enable Sierra Leoneans to be the owners of the mines. No matter the amount of money someone brings in, they should partner with Sierra Leoneans.
Now that we are into the debate of Tonkolili North, which has much more deposit of iron ore than the south, where a Chinese company is operating, it is believed that the government should forget about the so-called Mineral Wealth Fund that is being managed by a Russian and bring in Sierra Leoneans who will manage that huge resource, or else we will be in the same situation wherein our presidency will be molested.
The visible empowerment of Sierra Leoneans in all sectors, from the mines, was seen when the late Moseray Fadika, a Sierra Leonean, partnered with British Austrian Frank Timis. Sierra Leonean companies were given contracts, which helped to boost the economy in all sectors. A similar thing was done when John Bonor Sisay was at Sierra Rutile.
Thus, if Sierra Leone wants to benefit from the mines, the government must embark on the review of all mining contracts to come up with pro-people and country policies.
