By Foday Moriba Conteh
It was reported that during a joint military and Police operation, mining equipment worth billions of Leones were allegedly destroyed in Baama Wandor Chiefdom in the Kenema District during an incident that took place at the Macque River on the 21st June 2021.
District Divers Union Chairman and the Regional Chairman Eastern Region covering Kenema, Kono and Kailahun, Alhaji Conteh aka AC who is one of the victims explained that mining is the largest employment sector in Baama Wandor Chiefdom further lamenting that the operation left over 800 workers devastated. “The joint operation came with heavy firing, burning down of our machines and other mining equipment,” he bemoaned
He stated the some of the machines that were burnt included two Air Compression (Air Lift) costing no less than $4,000 and the 16 machines which are dredges costing Le 250,000,000, others Le150,000,000/ Le180,000,000 and the least was Le 130,000,000.
The District Divers Union Chairman alleged that on the 21st June over five trucks of armed men went to Baama claiming that they were there to remove the Ghanaian miners from that site but to their surprise they forcefully removed Sierra Leoneans instead of the foreigners.
Baama stakeholders who are largely engaged in mining strongly condemned the alleged action of the Government to burn down their machines among other equipment.
“I am perplexed that a Government would allow other people to destroy registered businesses in this kind way with no reason,” AC said.
AC added that the action of the Government has left them with nothing and brought them and their families back to zero.
Musa Saccoh said they were expecting the Government to engage them or even seize their machines rather than put fire on them.
He noted that they now find it difficult to address the problems of their homes and their school going children further maintaining that the Government has completely put them out of business
Musa informed that the machines that were affected were eighteen (18) in number and each of them cost about two hundred and Fifty million Leones (Le 250,000.000).
Brima Thorly, a community stakeholder also spoke on the damage, saying that the township depends on mining and that has been the case since diamond was discovered in the country.
He furthered that the action of the Government should be condemned in the strongest term though they spent their resources and time for SLPP to win the 2018 elections
“If that is the only reward President Julius Maada Bio could give us, we don’t have the power to fight him but to leave our case to God,” Sulaiman Sannie Deen, Secretary General of the Mining Committee of both Gurama Mende and Wandoh Chiefdom stated.
The National Mineral Agency (NMA) Compliance Mines Officer, Alfred Hai said the matter was above them and that their office cannot comment as the order was from State House.
He noted further that though he was not around during the raid but was informed that it was conducted by a joint team was from Freetown and not from Kenema.
This claim was also justified by the Sierra Leone Police Officer in Charge (OC) of Baama, Insp. Samuel Gevao.
OC Gevao stated that he was informed that senior military and police officers were part of the team that came to destroy and that as an officer of that rank he had little or nothing to do.
He also dilated on their relationship with the community people especially stakeholders who are assisting them in many ways.
Other community elders also gave testimonies on how badly they were affected by the destruction, the gun firing and tear gas.
