MONROVIA – News about foreigners including Ghanaians and Ivorians doing illicit mining in several counties including Gbarpolu, Rivercess, Sinoe has have drawn the attention of the Senate.
The Senate Invited Mines and Energy Minister, Gesler Murray.
At his Senate appearance, he confirmed the Senators’ concerns but said it is due to the many porous borders connecting Liberia to some of the countries whose citizens are involved. According to him, over 70% of Liberia border crossing points are without checkpoints or border security.
The excuse from the Minister didn’t sound real to some Senators who expressed disappointment in the Minister and to some extent, accused the Ministry he heads of operating a “syndicate.”
Newcomer Senator Willington Geevon Smith of RiverCess County made no secret about his feelings on the issue. He accused Minister Murray and his likes at the Ministry of Mines and Energy of operating a syndicate in dealing with those illegal miners.
Senator Smith said: “This is a syndicate. Nobody at the Ministry of Mines and Energy can tell me they don’t know what is going on in the interior of this country. If the people they issued mining licenses to, if they are mudding the waters of our people, national government will not move but when the people react the government will use all its energy to move on our people.
“I am speaking as a former superintendent, I know what’s happening in the interior of the county. What is more worrisome is that when these national resources are depleted our unborn generation will hold us responsible.”
Like Senator Smith, Senators Daniel Naathn of Gbapolu County, Johnathan Jonathan Sogbie of River Gee, and many others expressed similar concerns about illicit mining in their respective counties and asked the minister to suggest ways the Senate can be a help to mitigate the widespread of unscrupulous individuals exploiting the country’s resources without benefit the majority of the population.
Recently, the Minister of Mines and Energy gave a three-month ultimatum to the Inspectorate Division of the Ministry to clear Liberian rivers and streams of all illegal dredges and curtail the use of mercury for gold mining.
Mercury which is a dangerous substance that pollutes rivers and causes long-lasting negative human and environmental impact has been banned by the Liberian Government.
