a
Your trusted place for Sierra Leone and global news
HomeFeaturedLondon Mining agreement is not bad or flawed

London Mining agreement is not bad or flawed

London Mining agreement is not bad or flawed

The mercenaries in the press have ceased their fire against the London Mining Company. But the blackmailing battle seems to have been taken over by pseudo-civil society organisations such as the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD), the Campaign for Just Mining (CJM) and the Association of Journalists on Mining and Extractives (AJME).   (Photo:  Mohamed Sankoh aka One Drop)

But what concerns a leper with a needle? That’s the question that came to the front of my mind (well, I don’t keep things at the back of my mind because they could be easily forgotten) when I saw a press release from “Campaign For Just Mining-Sierra Leone” dated Monday 10th May, 2010 with the headline: “London Mining Lease Agreement Undermines President Koroma’s Agenda For Change”. The release itself is so sloppily done that some paragraphs look more like news stories, some look like op-eds and others look like editorials. But the thread running through that press release is hatred for the London Mining Company and the desire of some so-called civil society activists to project their selfish interests in the cloak of seeking the interests of mining communities.

The essence of that entire press release is to present the London Mining Agreement as not only bad or flawed but an agreement that “undermines President Koroma’s Agenda for Change”. But let me ask this simple question: If President Koroma, after lengthy negotiations with the London Mining Company, knew that the London Mining Agreement would undermine his Agenda for Change or if he knew that it would be a bad or flawed agreement would he have given concessions to the company or assented to the agreement? Of course, the answer is an emphatic no!

In trying to cloud their hatred for the London Mining Agreement, Campaign For Just Mining-Sierra Leone states in its press release under review that, “the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD), the Campaign for Just Mining (CJM) and the Association of Journalists on Mining and Extractives (AJME) are concerned about the continued silence of [President Koroma] over the cries of citizens of this country in relation to the London Mining Agreement signed between the Government of Sierra Leone and [the] London Mining Company…” Now, let me do some analyses here. Has there been any demonstration against the London Mining Agreement by the mining host communities since the agreement was signed? Have there been any attacks on the London Mining Company’s facilities in its areas of operations in relation to the agreement? The answers to these questions are NO! This means, the citizens themselves are very much satisfied with the Agreement except for few fake civil society activists who are looking out for means of blackmailing the company. And if President Koroma, by the power vested in him in Section 40 (4) of the 1991 Constitution, has given some concessions to the company; what do these fake civil society activists want the President to say? I think President Koroma’s loud sounding silence is a sort of mockery on the inability of these pseudo-civil society activists to comprehend the word: CONCESSION.

In an article few weeks ago, I stressed the point that when a legitimate government gives concessions to a company it means, in simple terms, that that company is exempted from some laws or certain taxes which govern the operations of companies engaged in a particular activity.  The London Mining Agreement is not bad or flawed one but an incentive given by the government to a company which means well for this country.

Now let me turn my attention to another angle to this whole brouhaha: “the team of experts responsible for the renegotiation of mining contracts on behalf of government” as reported in the Global Times of Monday 10th May, 2010. This group of experts have been negotiating with other mining companies for the past three years now and have still not come to any conclusion. Thank God the President did not give them the job to discuss the London Mining Agreement. Had it been so, there would have been no reopening of the Marampa Mines, no community development and other benefits now enjoyed by Lunsar, Thofoyam and Pepel.

So if the government listens to these so-called experts, then the jobs which London Mining Company is about to create will never happen! Another angle to this is that the people from the Office of the President were fully aware of this. They took many things into consideration before advising the President to give concessions. So, why should these so-called experts question both the legislative and Executive arms of government which are the legitimately recognized representatives of the people?

As those dark suited people would say, I rest my case.

By Mohamed Sankoh (One Drop)

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!

© 2010, https:. All rights reserved.

Share With:
Rate This Article
No Comments

Leave A Comment