July 26, 2021
By Aruna Kamara in Bo
Chairman of the National Council of Paramount Chief (NCPC), P.C Amandu Tejan Fasuluku Sonsiama III, has questioned some of the Environmental Impact Assessment reports done, being outsourced to some consultants by the Environment Protection Agency as it does not reflect the reality on the ground where the studies were conducted.
He made this disclosure during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Council of Paramount Chiefs, which attracted other stakeholders including the civil society on environmental protection.
P.C Sonsiama said that they were happy to sign the MOU with EPA but it is good for them to know that most of the EIA reports needs to be thoroughly examined as most of them are what he described as ‘cut and paste work’ of other people.
He said that EPA has a great role to play in the protection of the environment adding that as they are going into MOU with EPA to protect the environment there must be sincerity of purpose with a clear defined role of the Chiefs in the protection of the environment to put an end to blame game.
P.C Sonsiama went on to say that they will be concerned about ‘ powers from above’ as they go about protecting the environment and putting a stop on illegal mining.
He said that information gathering and sharing with EPA is key in their MOU to protect the environment as they are also aware that they have signed MOU’s with other institutions such as the Sierra Leone Police.
P.C Alimamy Dura III of Safroko Limba Chiefdom in Bombali District said that some people are busy making laws in Sierra Leone but they are not bent on enforcing it to the letter, adding that the lack of enforcement is as a result of self-interest. According to Chief Dura111, until that is stopped, Sierra Leone will never mover forward.
The Paramount of Kakua Chiefdom in Bo District P.C Prince Lappia Boima said that the chiefs need to be protected for their actions of protecting the environment due to ‘powers from the above’ and therefore suggested for laws to be in place that will protect the chiefs.
The Assistant Director of Public Relations of the Environment Protection Agency, James Tamba Kamara started off by thanking the chiefs for attending the signing of the MOU to protect the environment, which according to him is a clear manifestation of the love they have to protect their environment.
He pointed out that as they are charged with the mandate to protect the environment, they have to collaborate with other stakeholders including the chiefs because of the position they occupy in the society, given that they are custodians of the land.
Mr. Kamara said that because of the numerous environmental challenges, EPA has the role of regulating human activities on the environment but that cannot be done by EPA alone but in collaboration with the paramount Chiefs to execute their mandate.
“We don’t need to place responsibility on the future generation to protect the environment and if that was what our forefathers did, we would have not been on planet earth,”Mr Kamara revealed.
Mr. Kamara said that there is a social contract between man and nature and because we have breached it by cutting down trees among other human activities that is why we are experiencing environmental challenges including Climate Change.
“we are losing our natural beauty as a result of survival and it our responsibility to protect the environment to enhance our existence on the planet as the tree gives us oxygen which we inhale and we give out carbon dioxide ,which is being inhaled by trees,’’ he said.
Mr. Kamara reechoed their engagement with other stakeholders including the Sierra Leone Police to protect the environment by the signing of the MOU and they are doing the same with the National Council of Paramount Chiefs.
The Executive Chairman of EPA, he said, has put in place systems to thoroughly regulate the consultants taken for Environmental Impact Assessment of institutions or companies who want to work or operate in Sierra Leone, noting that there is software that will detect any form of plagiarism.
He said that the powers from above stated by the Chiefs will be taken into consideration but stated that their supervisory ministry has a minister that is working in line with president Bio’s dream to protect the environment and according to him, “Powers from above” will not be tolerated.
Mr. Kamara assured the Chiefs that they will be protected in their effort to join EPA to protect the environment and the EPA boss is of the conviction that by collaborating with the chiefs it will go a long way in protecting the environment and the species therein.
He said the head of EPA has toured the length and breadth of the country and is now abreast of the environment problems, which he is determined to address with the cooperation of all and sundry.
A representative from Civil Society in Bo District, Mustapha Kpaka said that the laws meant for the protection of the environment should be enforced without fear or favor, but it is sad to note that the laws are not implemented.
Presentation of pictorial evidence on the state of the environment of Sierra Leone and the Signing of the MOU climaxed the occasion.