POLITICAL, TRIBAL Leaders UNDERMINING THE MINING SECTOR -ASST.MIN.TINGBAN ASSERTS

The Assistant Minister for Mines, Mineral Resources Development and Conservation at the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), has said that the involvement of some political actors and tribal authorities in the mineral sector of Liberia is grossly undermining the workings of the Ministry across the Country. Minister Carlos Tingban Edison stressed that the action on the part of political and tribal actors is creating serious setbacks in terms of boosting and generating the needed revenue to enhance the government’s development agenda. According to Minister Edison, as part of efforts by the Ministry of Mines and Energy to put in place stringent measures to arrest the situation across the country for a major reform process, the Ministry is currently touring the country to review all mining licenses and address the challenges confronting the sector and resolve them. Minister Edison told journalists that the Ministry headed by Minister Wilmot Paye has set up a team to carry out investigations to have a broad-based understanding on the technical and operational status of various mining companies within the Country. The Ministry of Mines and Energy Official asserted that the tour in the Southeastern region is also geared towards probing how mining expeditions are being administered in accordance with the mineral and mining laws of the Country. He added that the exercise is the first intervention of the Ministry in the region to investigate the mining conditions and different factors that have the potential to undermine the Ministry’s progress and growth.  “In order for the ARREST agenda to be achievable, there is a need for sufficient revenues mobilization. The Ministry of Mines and Energy should be able as a revenue generating arm of the Government to introduce awareness on new programs. How we can do this when the sector is reportedly overwhelmed with massive illegal activities at the counties and national levels, including the interference by Local Authorities and some Political Actors remains a serious challenge,” Minister Edison said. He lamented that the illegal mining activities have eventually become the culture of locals across Liberia but sees it as complete exploitation that is hindering the Government’s revenue generation. The Assistant Minister warned local county authorities and politicians to refrain from administering the statutory responsibilities of the Ministry of Mines and Energy at the county level. In furtherance, Minister Edison bemoaned that the local authorities’ involvement in the administration of the mining and mineral sector is disadvantageous to the Government, causing the Ministry not to be in total control. Meanwhile, the Assistant Minister pinpoints that the Southeast is overwhelmed with dredge mining activities, citing that the documented ones are so huge. Also, the MME official described the applications of mercury by illicit dredge miners as a deadly act which has affected rivers that citizens rely on for drinking and other domestic purposes. He expressed fear that if the dredge and mercury mining activities are not addressed, he foresees an increase in the death rate of Liberian citizens who are the end users of the polluted water sources. 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐀