Timis in solidarity against Ebola
The Chairman of African Minerals Limited is on a tour of the company’s operations in Pepel and Tonkolili to reassure the general workforce of a safe and healthy environment despite the Ebola outbreak, east of Sierra Leone.
Frank Timis said although his business was in the north, he had to visit the country in solidarity with the government and people of Sierra Leone, especially during times like these when other investors would be tempted to leave.
The Government, WHO and Red Cross continued to increase their surveillance and were working to ensure that the virus was contained and dealt with in Kailahun, the epicentre in east. The company believed that based on those facts, there would be no increase in the threat to its staff and therefore operations and camps had not been unaffected.
Timis, who was wrapping up his tour of business interests and operations in four countries across the African region, recently became one of the biggest single investors with interest in mining and exploration, oil and gas and related natural resources with a cumulative investment portfolio of over US$4 billion.
While he extolled humility in anything people did, the billionaire and chair of the Timis Corporation with subsidiaries like African Minerals, African Petroleum and Pan-African Minerals, Timis said there was a management action plan to safeguard employees in Sierra Leone “because our primary responsibility is to keep you safe and well”. His investments accounted for one of the largest numbers of employees in West Africa, with a workforce exceeding over 20,000 people across the region.
In one of his meetings, one of the employees observed that his response to the Ebola virus threat across the sub-region of West Africa was “a clear manifestation of his love and passion for the continent and its economic development”.
Abu Bakarr Jalloh said while other companies were withdrawing staff and issuing press releases in reaction to the Ebola threat, Timis was on the ground to sensitize his workforce and to furnish them with precautionary measures the company was taking to protect them and the host communities.
Timis noted that their intervention in the comprehensive national approach to dealing with the spread of the deadly Ebola virus was way beyond their corporate social responsibility.
“It is about passion and the interest of the people and government in me. I am part of this arrangement and part of the solution,” said Timis, adding that they would continue to respond to the crisis by giving a helping hand where it was required and needed.
The Chairman of African Minerals also used the opportunity to build confidence in the senior management of the company, assuring the rest of the workforce that they had put mechanisms in place to prevent them from contracting the Ebola disease.
“I will be spending a few more days with you in Sierra Leone and I will be meeting with government officials to assured them of my company’s continued support and collaboration to help contain the spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone.
Timis earlier held meetings in Pepel and Tonkolili with thousands of employees and shook hand with virtually each and every one of them as a confidence building measure. He assured that Africa Minerals would work with the government to prevent the spread of the Ebola disease.
Timis would spend the next few days across the projects in Sierra Leone and would meet local and government stakeholders to continue with his sensitization and confidence building.
Minister of Mines and Minerals Resources, Minkailu Mansaray, once said that: “Frank Timis is held in esteem by the Government of Sierra Leone…He has overseen a company that has brought employment to our country at a time when we were emerging from the dark days of war. His investment in Sierra Leone has helped us to develop and has encouraged other international companies to invest in Sierra Leone also.”
“The most heartening aspect of Mr. Timis’ involvement in our country is the widespread and vigorous social responsibility programmes he has installed at African Minerals,” he said.
Tanu Jalloh, PRO, African Minerals (SL) Ltd.
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