Victims and affected property owners blast government
Both victims and affected property owners associated with the disturbance that took place on the 13th December 2007 between Koidu Holdings and the indigenes of Koidu city where two people were killed and nine seriously injured by Koidu Holdings security personnel assigned to their concession, have blasted the government for deliberately failing to go by the recommendation of the Jenkins Johnson Commission of Enquiry.
Ibrahim A. S. Bockarie, a victim of the said disturbances, noted that perpetrators of the violence still enjoy relative freedom and are still working while the victims and their children are left to fend for themselves. He pointed out that the late Aiah Momoh family has still not been given attention either by the NGO or the government.
He further pointed that Marka Jagitay is still suffering from the bullet wounds he sustained from the chest during the riot.
He called on civil society and international community to force Koidu Holdings to accept their guilt and pay adequate compensation to all the victims and their families.
According to the white paper of March 2008 in respect of the killing in December 2007, government endorsed the recommendations made by the Jenkins Johnson Commission of Enquiry.
Among these recommendations, the government endorsed that the three police officers, Sergeant 6725 Kamara M, Sergeant 5625 Samadia TM and Sergeant 7876 Kamara MM who were implicated in the December shooting were to be prosecuted.
Surprisingly, this is yet to be acted upon. According to Sahr Samuel Nguajah, the Public Relations Officers for the Affected Property Owners Association (APOA), the lack of commitment on the part of Koidu Holdings’ lack to relocate the affected people outside the blasting perimeter, forced them to issue a 14-point resolution on the 13th December 2007 and a 21-day ultimatum to Koidu Holdings. “Because no body responded to us prompted another line of action which was to embark on a peaceful demonstration but was converted into violence as police officers opened fire on us, killing two and others seriously,†wounded Sahr noted.
“Before nowâ€, he continued, “we were relieved by the action of the government to suspend the operation of Koidu Holdings and a commission of enquiry set up to look into the issue.â€
He added that the premature lifting of the Koidu Holdings suspension render invalid the recommendations of the commission of enquiry and the government white paper that accompanied the recommendations.
Sahr Samuel Nguajah revealed to this medium that they still have to contend with the embarrassment of moving out of their homes each time the company wanted to blast.
Sorie Ibrahim, representing Koidu Holdings, noted that frantic steps have been taken to resolved the issue at last. He noted that the company has agreed to donate to these victims instead of compensation, because of the many legal implications the term will cause them.
However, he argued that 12 houses are built by the company in every month to resettle the victims. A renowned researcher, Dr. Lans Gberie said it all when he noted that a government that violated its own laws cannot be relied upon to protect its own people.
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