By: Problyn J Alpha
The Environment Protection Agency Kono branch office manager Ishmael Jalloh has said that his institution is well pleased with the demeanour of Koidu limited mining company in the Kono district.
He made the pronouncement during the official handing over ceremony of the just rehabilitated structures at the Koidu School for the Blind by the management of the Koidu limited mining company to the authorities and pupils of the school.
Manager Jalloh maintained that the company’s management is doing everything possible to comply with the laws of the country thus renewing its licenses to the environment protection Agency (EPA) and the National Mineral Agencies (NMA). He said the purpose is for the company to fulfil its cooperate social responsibilities and many other social components that have helped the company to meet the requirements of the government of Sierra Leone to operate as a large-scale mining company.
” As EPA officers in the Kono district, we are really impressed with the way the management of Koidu Limited is handling environmental, social and cultural issues within its operational areas”, Manager Jalloh concluded.
On his part, the deputy director of education in Kono district Prince Gebeh thanked and appreciated Koidu limited mining company for its major support to the Ministry of Education and the government of Sierra Leone as a whole to help archive the Free Quality School Education program in the country.
Mr Gebeh noted that the education ministry has a lot of policies noting one of the major policies is radical inclusion which caters for the following categories of people: pregnant girls, children with disabilities and hard hard-to-reach, children in underserved communities and parent learners.
He said the handing over ceremony of the rehabilitated structures speaks volumes of the said radical inclusion policy for children with disabilities. Director Gebeh pointed out that the rehabilitation of the Koidu School for the blind by the Koidu limited mining company as part of fulfilling its cooperating social responsibilities is in line with the four guarding principles of the Ministry of Education radical inclusion, universal access comprehensive school safety and quality teaching and learning.
In view of the aforementioned four guarding principles according to Mr Gebeh Koidu limited mining company has done a very good job in the area of comprehensive school safety.
“As a ministry and government by extension we have provided school buses for the children including assisting devices to the pupils through assist center and the provision of subvention to keep the pupils alive” he explained.
Prince Gebeh further beseeched the beneficiary school administration and the pupils to protect and make good use of the facilities provided by the Koidu Limited Mining Company.
Whereas, the town chief of Sengehkor chief Ngegba underscored the importance of education and the positive impacts it creates on people noting the development of every nation highly depends on the level of more functionally educated citizens of that country.
In his opening remarks earlier, the paramount chief of Tankoro chiefdom PC Paul N. Saquee who chaired the ceremony foremost described it as a history-making event in the Kono district. He stated that the disabled are part of society and as well equally important as other able persons living, hence they should not be treated or left behind in terms of development.
He explained that prior to now the working relationship between the company and the people of Tankoro chiefdom including the Kono district as a whole was not friendly thus it created a lot of misconceptions about the company which the people of the host mining community and Kono district were never happy with but due to the continuous dialogue and the enactment of good mining policies by the president Bio-led the government to regulate mining companies, Koidu limited mining company has contributed a lot to the development of the aforementioned chiefdom and district as a whole.
The newly elected PCMP Kono district maintained that the activities of the company in the district have boosted the morale of security personnel at the different border crossing points in Kono district through the construction of very decent security posts across the border crossing points in the district. PC Saquee pointed out the company has also supported sons and daughters of the Kono district to pursue higher education at both national and international levels. He, therefore, pleaded with all and sundry to create the enabling environment for the company to work effectively in order to foster development in the chiefdom and district as a whole.”
“I beseech all to follow the due process of the law when expressing their grievances about the operations of the company,” PCMP Kono district admonished.
In his keynote address, the chief administrator of the Koidu New Sembehun city council, Francis Tiffa stated that the government agenda for Sierra Leone has been on education for the past years because it is only education that enhances the life chances of everyone, noting without quality education whatever chances one has cannot be earnest.
CA Tiffa maintained that the primary responsibility of Koidu limited mining company is not to only earnest minerals, because God has blessed the land of Kono district but to also earnest the hidden potentials of our visually impaired brothers and sisters in Kono district.
Kahili Turay the head boy of the aforementioned school in his vote of thanks message thanked Koidu limited mining company for its unflinching support to the school and the pupils over the years noting the interventions of the company have rapidly transformed both the school and them as pupils. He further beseeched the management of the company to also provide for them security personnel in order to prevent thieves from entering their company.
