December 3, 2021
The National Minerals Agency could not tell members of the community development committees (CDC) of both Sierra Rutile and Vimetco bauxite mining companies why it has failed to conduct fresh elections for effective work of the two committees.
According to sources from both CDCs, elections should have been held before the end of November 2021 but the National Minerals Agency had not said anything and the mandate of members of the committees have earlier come to an end.
A member of Vimetco CDC told this press that their mandate expires after four years adding that they have done everything possible to keep in touch with NMA but nothing has been done. “We should have got our vice chairman by now but NMA and other government officials have not done anything since we lost the vice chairman two years ago “one of the members said, adding that we need to overhaul the committee as it does not truly represent communities were mining activities are taking place in Lower and Upper Banta chiefdoms in Moyamba district
Explaining further, one of the members said an Annual General Meeting of Vimetco CDC should have been done after four years to make amendment and overhaul the Steering committee which directs the entire CDC but it has been very difficult to stir the ship.
The chairman of Vimetco CDC, James Villa was questioned as to why projects have not been implemented and related the slow pace to Covid and other issues in the country.
“We have done a lot by building schools and supporting agricultural activities in Dasse, Lower Banta, Upper Banta, Kpanda Kemoh and Bumpeh chiefdoms were Vimetco operates but we need to review the community development agreement which had led to many projects not fully implemented” Villa pointed out.
CDC Sierra Rutile also talked on its annual allocation dished out by the Sierra Rutile Company. According to the chairman of CDC, Pastor Francis Rogers, the percentage giving to the institution could not redress vital issues in Sierra Rutile operational chiefdoms.
“We need more money to extend our services to mining affected communities but we over the past four years we have received the same amount of money which would not help to reach out to most communities”, Rogers highlighted.
This press also noticed that the office space of CDC Sierra Rutile is very small and lacks basic facilities.