Parliament Mines Committee has criticized Sierra Leone’s lawmaking body, the House of Parliament, which is under fire after residents of Masumbirie, a town in Tonkolili District predominantly known for Gold mining accused the well’s committee of being unserious in performing its oversight functions.

“We’re disappointed with the outcome of an engagement meeting we had with the Parliamentary Committee on mines a month ago. During the meeting, we explained to the Committee about the ongoing reckless mining in our community and they promised to call all of us in parliament. The Committee promised us that it would bring to book all those found wanting,” says Abdul Kargbo, a resident of Masumbirie town.

The criticisms and accusations came after the Mining Community in Parliament is believed not to have done anything for a month after massive illegal and reckless mining was unearthed in the town of Masumbirie.

Residents said they have reported and made all revelations about the ongoing illegal mining that is only benefitting some high-profile people but, they said, Parliament has not done anything to stop the dangerous mining activities in the community.

On 28 September 2023, it could be recalled that the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Mineral Resources engaged residents especially Community Stakeholders of Masumbirie because the Committee said it had received information about the ongoing illegal mining in that community.

During that meeting, Kemmoh Marrah, the Committee’s Clerk explained the purpose of that meeting which, he said, was to strengthen stakeholders’ collaboration, to assess local community mining challenges, and to find a way forward for a sustainable peace and development.

In his address during the meeting, the Clerk of the Committee through an invitation letter the Committee sent to the stakeholders clearly showed that parliament was aware of the illegal mining which prompted the Mines Committee to move to the community in order to hear more from the residents.

“The attention of the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Mineral Resources has been drawn to the community Gold mining operations within Tonkolili District and specifically Masumbirie town and its environs,” the letter addressed to the various stakeholders by the Mining Committee, reads in part.

In the meeting speaker after speaker narrated the ordeals facing the community because of the ongoing illegal mining.

But what has become a turn of events now is that residents have become impatient after they had said they haven’t heard from Parliament for a month after the meeting, adding that the Committee has again promised to get back to them.

Many residents of Masumbirie are becoming suspicious that this could also be another of the previous institutions and individuals who once had disguised as fighting for the community but later on ended up being beneficiaries of the ongoing illegal mining done by these private companies.

“Others have come and gone just like Parliament but at the end of the day, nothing changes. The worst that has happened was that the people or institutions coming to help us to stop this menace will end up benefiting from the process at the expense of the community,” says  Fatu Larkoh, another Masumbirie resident.

Abdul Fullah, a youth in the town said it’s disheartening that Parliament has not gotten back to them and that they have begun to hearing some negative rumours.

The Clerk of the Committee, Kemoh Marrah said, he has completed the draft report.

This was what he wrote on WhatsApp when asked by our reporter in the Northern province:

Good morning my brother.  I advise you to come to Parliament tomorrow or Thursday for the necessary clarification.  The Chairpersons of the two communities will abreast you accordingly.  Meanwhile, I have just completed my draft report, the message reads.

Hardit, a mining site in Masumbirie town has been influxed with miners from other parts of the country after gold was discovered in a rock.

But surprisingly after years of mining in the community, Masumbirie is still one of the poorest communities with nothing good to write home about.

Illegal mining cannot be unconnected to the factors responsible for the community’s backwardness.