By: Problyn J. Alpha
Seawright Mining Company operating in Kono District has paid a surface rent of at least Eighty nine thousand United States Dollars to three Chiefdoms in its operational areas in the district.
The payment of the said surface rent saw the distribution of at least twenty bags of rice each to the three beneficiary Chiefdoms, Tankoro, Gbense and Kamara. Both Kamara and Tankoro out of the surface rent paid received ten percent of it each and Gbense the Primary Mining Chiefdom received eighty percent.
Presenting the Cheques to the beneficiary Chiefdom authorities, the Chief operations officer of Seawright Mining Company, Jambolani Mkoko maintained that the essence of paying surface rent is not only to legalize their operations but to also cement the working relationship between the company and the communities where the company operates in the District.
Mr. Mkoko disclosed plans by the Seawright Mining Company to increase on their activities in order to improve the lives of people living in their operational areas. He intimated the audience that Seawright Mining Company is people centered and as a result the operations of the company are always in the good interest of the people and not the company. The Chief operations Officer Seawright Mining Company further catalogued the following as challenges for the smooth operations of the company of recent: the death of the Paramount Chief of Gbense Chiefdom and the common enemy of the world Corona Virus.
However, he later sounded very optimistic that the company will start full operations soonest. Speaker and caretaker Paramount Chief of Gbense Chiefdom Kono District, Chief Aiah Moses Kamanda on behalf of his Chiefdom expressed gratitude and appreciation to the management of the Seawright Mining Company for the payment of the surface rent and the good will gestures and for the distribution of the fifty bags of rice each to the company’s operational areas and pleaded with the management to maintain the present healthy working relationship in the Chiefdom.
Regional Engineer National Minerals Agency East, Daniel Lavalie, said his office is pleased with the operations of Seawright in Kono District and urged them to do more.
“To maintain such healthy working relationship, I expected people in the operational areas of Seawright Mining Company to be peaceful and friendly with the operations of the mining company,” he appeals.
