By: Problyn John Alpha
A two day stakeholders consultative meeting to review the koidu limited mining community Development Agreement (CDA) has ended in Gbense and Trankoro chiefdoms respectively in KONO District.
Henry H. Kamara is the community Affairs social development manager National Minerals Agency (NMA) in an interview with a-z, he noted that the two days stakeholders consultative meetings in the aforementioned chiefdoms was to review the COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT (CDA) which the Koidu Limited mining Company since 2017 went into with the host mining communities for mutual benefits as the company operates in that part of the country.
He said one of the clauses of the said community Development Agreement states that after every five years the community Development Agreement should be reviewed for necessary changes.
Mr Kamara maintained that the community Development Agreement which is the first ever to enter into by the host mining communities and the koidu Limited mining company attracted the following participants: Steering committee members, Old community Development Committee members among many others.
Explaining some of the findings of the two days stakeholders consultative meetings to review the koidu Limited mining company community Development Agreement, Henry H. Kamara intimated that the participants of the meetings commended the government of Sierra Leone for the initiative of the CDA which they said enhances mutual understanding and benefits between the host mining communities or chiefdoms and the mining company, noting if such initiative has been in existence mining would have benefited the District and the country as a whole.
According to him the participants of the meetings further thanked the first community Development committee members for effectively and efficiently manning the affairs of the community Development Agreement by the construction of schools, health centres and recreational facilities to name but a few. However, the community affairs social development Manager National Minerals Agency outlined the following as challenges during the period under review:communication gap, poor representation, low women representation, little or no financial support for meetings to be held, very low youth representation with no financial support to undertake activities and the fulfillment of undue protocols to effect projects.
Mr Kamara therefore cautioned all and sundry that not all of the concerns brought up by the participants are going to be factored into the new Agreement after the review process. He said the koidu Limited mining company was going to be contacted for its own recommendations so that the main purpose of CDA which is inclusiveness in mining communities will be achieved. Meanwhile, the present members that constitute the community Development Committee in Tankoro and Gbense chiefdoms in kono District are expected to either loose or maintain their positions through an election.
