By Bai-Bai Sesay and Alusine Nfa Turay, Freetown.
94 students of the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) last Saturday visited the operational areas of London Mining Company at Marampa chiefdom in Lunsar, Northern Sierra Leone.
The leader of the student delegation, Kapr Conteh, explained the purpose of their visit at the mining sites which he said among other things was to improve their knowledge in their areas of study. He pointed out that the field trip to the mines will also help them know more about business management as well as have practical knowledge about the mining operations of the company.
Conteh disclosed that they have recently visited Wusum Hotel and praised the good work of London Mining Company. He said they are impressed with what they saw in the mines and observed that there are mining prospects in this country.
Conteh lauded the opening of the company at this time noting that with such a development in the area of iron ore mining, there is need for all students to come on board to work towards the development of this nation.
“This is our first time to see iron ore, and we have been getting different information regarding the operations of the company. But our visit today at the mines indicates that what the critics are saying is wrong. We want to tell the authorities that we are satisfied with what we saw on the ground”, he opined.
Conteh called on the management of the company to kick start the mining operation as quickly as possible in order to fast track employment opportunities for the people of this country.
London Mining’s Financial Controller, Andrew Lane, told the visiting students that Sierra Leone is not the only country in the world they are currently operating. He disclosed that they are operating in China, Greenland, Columbia and Chile.
He informed the students that one of their criteria for employment is to consider local people, which is part of their corporate social responsibilities. The Financial Controller disclosed that the company has provided water wells, clinics, schools, scholarships, construction of a bridge and a road network linking the Marampa and Maforki chiefdoms.
Two students in the delegation, Christiana Davies and Mamoud Koroma, explained to officials of the company that their visit to the mines was part of their area of study in terms of international business, adding that they are visiting the mines to get first hand knowledge of the company as this is part of their final examinations.
“Our trip to the mines has made us acquire new knowledge in the area of international business studies as well as first hand information from the people of Marampa about the company’s corporate social responsibility including the importance of iron ore mining”, they explained.
During their conducted tour, the students were divided into three groups- Geology, Administration and Engineering and infrastructure. The students visited the administrating building presently under construction, the iron ore drilling site, the deposited iron ore or tailings, iron ore old store building and the laboratory department. The students discussed pertinent issues about the mining of iron ore with various heads of department as well as the operation of the iron ore mines at the chiefdom.
Meanwhile, London Mining Company last Sunday donated a trophy, vests and other equipment worth millions of Leones to Maton Village, lower Maforki Chiefdom in the Port Loko District.
The Managing Director of London Mining Company, David Keili(photo) told the people of Maforki that the donation was a way of motivating the youths for them to work towards the development of their chiefdom adding that his company is currently contributing greatly to the development of this country.
“Our company wants to see Sierra Leone develop like other countries in the world and to see Sierra Leone as a country good to do business. We know the people of this country are always ready to work with London Mining”, he said.
He disclosed that since DELCO was closed for 35 years, there was nothing the chiefdom and its people could boast of and advised parents to encourage their children to go to school pointing out that education is the key to success.
The Managing Director told the people of Maforki that the company will not employ every body at the same time but advised them to be patient because this is the time for them to benefit from the company. He promised the residents of Marampa and Maforki chiefdoms that they are the first people to be considered for any employment opportunity in the company.
“We want to assure the two chiefdoms that they are the first two chiefdoms to start benefiting from the company as soon as it starts the exploration of iron ore. Every two years, the communities will be given two million dollars”, he told the gathering.
The councilor of Ward 169 in the Maforki chiefdom, Zainab Mansaray praised London Mining Company for its continuous support to the two chiefdoms. She commended the company for it good work in the area of providing food to every house hold during the month of Ramadan.
The Sport Committee Chairman in the Port Loko district, Mohamed Mensah said the company has demonstrated to the people of Marampa and Maforki chiefdoms their social corporate responsibility and appealed to the company to fund their proposed project, the football field, in the chiefdom.
The Regent Chief of Maforki chiefdom, Pa Alimamy Thonkara lauded the good work of the company, stating that “as from today London Mining Company is my mother and father on this earth”.
“We have seen a lot of things being done by the company including the provision of safe drinking water, schools, scholarships, bridge, and a road linking Mammy Nancy to Thoufayim and a jetty project in this village”, he concluded.
IPAM Students at the mining site in Lunsar
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