February 17, 2021
By Mohamed M. Sesay
Honorable Members of the fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone have yesterday vehemently decried Mining Companies for the pollution of rivers and streams within riverine communities with toxic chemicals by some mining companies operating within those communities which has led to cases of diarrhea and deaths of people in Bonthe District.
Standing on Standing Order Two (SO2), Hon. Alice Jabbie Kumabeh representing the people of constituency 092 Bonthe District, presenting to the Well of Parliament what she considered as a very serious incident happening in her constituency which has made her people very disturbed with an untold suffering. Hon. Kumabeh furthered that the rivers within those riverine communities have become so much contaminated to the extent that people are no longer using them for drinking and other domestic purposes due to some mining activities within the circumference of those riverine communities.
She added that huge toxic wastes are deposited into the Tiaya River as a result of these mining activities happening at an unknown location within her constituencies. Hon. Kumabeh further intimated that the livelihood of her people predominantly depend on fishing activity. She however said the fishing activities of her people has also been disturbed adding that, the action of mining companies depositing huge toxic wastes in the river has killed most of the fishes in the water, and the bigger fishes absconded to a safer zone.
She continued with statistical data justifying the hazards caused by those mining companies on the communities wherein she said, 25 villages have been affected, 8770 people are affected of which 7499 are adults, 1271 of under-five children. She further highlighted the total number of diarrhea cases since 2020 which represent; adults 53, under five children 75 and total number of death as a result of the polluted water also represents ten (10) of which three (3) are adults and seven (7) are under five children.
‘’ Mr. Speaker Honorable members, my people will not be suffering and dying while the mining companies are getting richer at the detriment of my people. At the juncture, I want to crave the indulgence of the house, especially you Mr. Speaker for a speedy intervention into this particular matter’’. She appealed.
She further demanded for the house to intervene and bring to book of all the companies that are involved in what he described as a wicked act, and that let the mining companies in question realized the damages they have caused on the lives of her people and to pay for those damages accordingly, and also for the House of Parliament to ask the mining companies to stop the pollution of the Teaya River with an immediate effect. She asserted that a bigger disaster awaits her people if a timely intervention is not executed by the House of Parliament.
Chairman of the Mines Committee in parliament Hon. Emerson Lamina said he had had a personal chart with Hon. Kumabeh with regards to the unfortunate happenings in her constituency and therefore said, he has asked Hon. Kumabeh to submit a detail report including the names of the mining companies for a prompt action of summoning those mining companies. He assured the Speaker that he would take timely action against the existing circumstance in Hon. Kumabeh’s constituency by summoning relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies to proffer convincible explanation.
Hon. Dickson Rogers from Pujehun reaffirmed the seriousness of the issue highlighted by Hon. Kumabeh, and also joined the bandwagon for a timely action to be taken on the pollution of riverine communities by mining companies. He added that Pujehun too has started suffering the pollution and therefore moved a motion for a committee to be set up in order to investigate the matter and also invite the relevant MDAs to give full details on the issue. He further suggested to the Speaker for the MDAs to visit the scenes of those mining areas and get the samples of the chemicals the companies are using so that they (MPs), would now know which of the company is using a particular chemical, other than making a hasty generalization.
In his presentation, the Leader of Government Business Hon. Mathew Nyuma also agreed that all of them are affected from this pollution especially those coming from Bonth and Kenema District. Leader of Government Business added that if the mining companies causing this hazardous pollution are identified, he suggested to the Speaker for the licenses of those mining companies to be suspended having got full details from the investigation that the committee of mines would table in parliament.
Having listened to the debate surrounding the burning issue of Hon. Alice Jabbie Kumabeh, the Acting Speaker of Parliament Hon. Solomon Sengepoh Thomas, thanked the Honorable Member for bring such issue sensitive before parliament adding that he was so moved by her submission. Hon. Thomas further directed for the mines committee to sit together with the Environment committee, and the Defense Committee in parliament in order to address the malaise of the water pollution caused by those mining companies.
He concluded by directing the three committees mentioned above, to go on an oversight to those affected mining communities in order to mediate the inimical effect caused by the mining companies, adding that the issue has to do with their people acknowledging that the people are the very reason they are in parliament.
‘’let the mines Committee, Defense Committee and the Environment Committee meet and give us details of what you plan. Not everybody will go from all of the committee but we will take representatives may be five persons per committee. So let me hear the motion’’. Hon. Thomas Directed.