The Director General (DG) of National Minerals Agency (NMA), Julius Daniel Mattai has said on Wednesday September 8, 2020, asked for support from the various arms of government and the people of Sierra Leone to enhance the Agency’s effectiveness.
Mattai made the plea at NMA’s office at New England Ville in Freetown while he gave update on the activities of the agency to the media.
Director Mattai went on to say that the agency is responsible to protect investors and the people of Sierra Leone. He acknowledges that it is extreme difficulty for the mineral wealth of Sierra Leone to be tapped for the benefit of Sierra Leoneans without instituting good laws, adding that currently the agency only implements the current laws as it is in the Act.
He noted further that his power is limited with regard to the prevailing mining laws and commented thus: “If we need to move the mining sector forward, we must come together collectively in a non-partisan way,” he emphasized.
He then clarified to the media that administering mineral rights is one of the biggest challenges in the sector, adding that as an agency they only assess and leave NRA with their revenue collection obligation.
He maintained that some individuals and businesses in the mining industry have not realized much from the sector, and that one of the main concerns of the Agency is to see Sierra Leone smiles from the enormous resources in the country by doing the needful.
He claimed that as an Agency, they were not involved in any dubious activity, which should have warranted public alarm. He alluded to the existence of public interest monitoring agencies in the country like the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on mines.
“Despite the number of challenges in the sector over the past years, we have not done badly, as opposed to what is coming from some factions,” he asserted. “Gone are those days, when investors will come into the country, used and dumped the people,” he said.
He further informed the press that as an agency, they are there to ensure fair play and for the right things to be done.
He added that the country currently has 14 licensed large scale mining companies, and only four of those are currently active at the moment. He encouraged Sierra Leoneans to get involve into small scale mining.
Representing the Board at the NMA, Mr. Alhaji Mustapha Turay said that they deemed it fit as a board for the department of information to be created by the Agency, and therefore approved such. He said that they have been operating by the NMA Act of 2012.
Given a clear clarification on the vehicles issues, the Director of Finance and Administration at NMA Mohamed Kakay, said they followed all the laid down procedures in procuring vehicles for the agency, and cited that in both 2017 and 2018 they had gone through the rightful process.
On the issues of Kingho, the Director General when asked, said they will not comment because it is before Parliament and they respect their decision as an agency.
By Desmond Tunde Coker
11/09/2020. ISSUE NO: 7907