By Amin Kef Sesay
Contrary to the expectations of many Sierra Leoneans, the action of both China Kingho and CRSG over the fight between their national and a Sierra Leonean staff at the Tonkolili mines in Northern Sierra Leone, the Chinese Company took prompt action to relieve its national of his duties and took the Sierra Leonean national to the hospital for medical attention. This is the first time in the country’s history that a foreign company has taken such drastic action against its staff for fighting a local staff.
In their Press Release, both companies condemned the action of their own national and apologized to the nation for such an ugly incident, urging Sierra Leoneans that the company is poised to abide by the laws of the country and will continue to hold their Sierra Leonean counterparts in high esteem. It noted that the incident was an isolated one and not one that the company will condone, adding that it is against their operational principles.
In spite of the incident, some social commentators say that the Chinese have had very good working relationship with the country and has done extremely well in aiding the country get on its feet. In the agricultural sector, the Chinese are playing a vital role in developing agriculture and promoting production of the country’s staple food. In the sanitation sector, Chinese dump trucks are in use in the country to help reduce the garbage in the city. Chinese-Sierra Leone relationship was highly demonstrated during the Ebola and now in COVID-19, where its doctors and medical team have participated fully in saving the lives of our citizens at great risk to their own lives.
It could be recalled that with the setting up of the Jui Hospital and furnishing with latest modern medical equipment, China has contributed to the development of the health sector, training local staff in the use of modern technology in health matters. It is such experiences that enabled our own local staff to deal with COVID-19 when it surfaced in the country, thereby preventing the many deaths that are seen in the developed world.
What this shows is that the unity between the two countries is firm and cannot be undermined by a single isolated incident, which has already been aptly addressed by the Chinese company. China is a big partner in development with Sierra Leone, and there are prospects for more developmental activities to be undertaken by them in the near future. Bravo CRSG for prompt intervention.
