August 2, 2017
Seawright Mining Company in compliance with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to its operational Chiefdoms of Nimiyama Chiefdom, in Kono District and Gorama Mende Chiefdom, in Kenema District, has paid over Le 580,000,000 Million as land lease.
Explaining the modalities of the payment, Seawright Mining Company Consultant, Alex Rogers said the payment was in two forms:
Nimiyama Chiefdom, Kono District received the sum of Le 140,000,000 (One Hundred and Forty Million Leones) Land Lease Payment, which was handed over to Nimiyama Chiefdom Council through Paramount Chief George Bockarie Torto 111.
The sum of Le150,000,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Million Leones) bulk payment was also made to Nimiyama Chiefdom Council through the Paramount Chief in respect of Seawright CSR, budget stipulated in the Community Development Action Plan (CDAP) and a donation of USA 6KV Generator and a Desk Top Computer (Dell) for the local Chiefdom administration capacity building.
He went on to say for Gorama Mende Chiefdom, Kenema District, Le140,000,000 (One Hundred and Forty Million Leones) Land Lease Payment was made to 14 Landowning Families (each landowning family received Le10,000,000 (Ten Million Leones) within the Famanjo Section.
However, the sum of Le150,000,000 (One Hundred and fifty Million Leones) bulk payment was made to Gorama Mende Chiefdom Council through the Paramount Chief, Madam Haja Mariam GassamaKanja 1V in respect of Seawright CSR budget stipulated in the Community Development Action Plan (CDAP) and a donation of USA 6 KV Generator and a Desk Top Computer for the local Chiefdom administration capacity building.
Mr Rogers said they hope and pray that the Chiefdom Councils would use the money very Judiciously and that of the donated items.
In his brief statement, the Chief Executive Officer of Seawright Mining Company, Dr Alfred Seawright, during his presentation of the donated items, said the compoany is here to empower the locals and not to reap from them.
He continued that besides the payments and “Goodwill Donation” made to the two operational Chiefdoms, Seawright Mining Company, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, has implemented some “Quick Win” projects through the construction of Hand-dug water wells with pumps, primary schools, court Barry, toilets in most of its operational communities particularly in the Famanjo Section, Gorama Mende.
He spoke about the road rehabilitation they embarked on as a way of easing the burden on residents of those chiefdoms.
Mines Monitoring Officer, Idriss Koroma of the National Minerals Agency, said they are the happiest people in such venture because they are the implementers and that it was good that the people have seen reasons to accept the Seawright Mining Company. He spoke about the limitation of the Government and where the private sector normally steps in.
He also congratulated the Dr Alfred Seawright and Mr Andrew for their tireless effort in ensuring that Seawright Mining Company continue to operate even when the Ebola outbreak stroke the nation.
He described the mining company as a very transparent one.
Dr Seawright implementing Partner, Andrew Impinge, emphasised that education will be one of their top most priority. He said they are going to ensure that pupils begin to enjoy computer training in almost all the schools in their operational areas after they would have trained the teachers.
“Our dream is to start with the primary. We are going to start equipping the children from primary stage for them to take up leadership in the future,” he said.
Paramount Chief of Gorama Mende Chiefdom, Madam Haja Mariam Gassama and Paramount Chief of Nimiyama Chiefdom, George BockarieTorto 111 expressed their profound thanks and appreciation to Seawright Mining Company.
They described the payment and donation as first of its kind as they were yearning for such company in their communities, describing Seawright Mining as a trust worthy company.
“We pray that Seawright stays and brings more development to both chiefdoms,” they prayed.
Several speakers including the Councillor of the ward made statement. The payment also saw the formal signing of agreement with landowning families in Famanjo Section in the Gorama Mende, in Kenema District.
Seawright Mining Company is currently on Exploration Phase and has in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, carried out its ESIA and attendant Public Disclosure meeting of the ESIA report; the company now awaits the issuance of the ESIA License.