“To show that we are in full compliance with local content requirements, I took the Director General of the Local Content Agency to our operational sites. Places where one might assume Chinese nationals are working,are in fact occupied by Sierra Leoneans.

We have Sierra Leoneans operating an entire processing plant on the mining site with no involvement of Chinese personnel,” Mohamed Daffae, Leone Rock Metal Group’s Director of Human Resource explained.

He was responding to claims published in some local newspapers after the visit of the Director General of the Local Content Agency to the mining site of Leone Rock Metal Group in Tonkolili. As part of their mandate, the Local Content Agency was conducting an audit on several businesses operating in Sierra Leone

According to Mohamed Daffae, LRMG submitted all necessary documents to the Director General of the Local Content Agency, but the agency insisted on splitting the documentation according to the company’s subsidiaries.

“Even at that, Local Content should have given Leone Rock some time to carry out the necessary splitting,” he said.

STAFF RECRUITMENT

On staff recruitment, the Human Resource Director, who is a Sierra Leone, said it was the first time a mining company project in Sierra Leone has employed close to 90% Sierra Leoneans, many of whom occupy strategic positions.

“I serve as the Human Resource Director, and my department is over 90% Sierra Leonean. I only have a Chinese counterpart because I can’t handle the Chinese recruitment process due to the language barrier. Some of our projects are time-bound, so we need a few Chinese experts to ensure timely delivery. Once those projects are complete, the Chinese experts leave,” he said.

Mohamed Daffae also confirmed the existence of the company’s localization policy, developed as far back as 2021 even before the commencement of any audit on the company.

“That strategy has allowed us to identify Sierra Leoneans across various departments. We are mentoring and building their capacities so they can gradually take on leadership roles. Eventually, we want Sierra Leoneans to manage the entire process chain, as it is more cost-effective, and that is why we are investing in skills development,” he added.

WORK PERMIT FOR FOREIGN EMPLOYEES

Debunking claims that most of the Chinese employees at Leone Rock do not have work permits, Mohamed Daffae clarified that while the Local Content Agency raised that concern, the agency completely misunderstood the legal framework.

“The law states that foreign workers must apply for work permits through the Ministry of Labour, which in turn must seek concurrence from the Local Content Agency before issuing the permits. If the Labour Ministry fails to get that concurrence, it is not the company’s fault,” he explained.

He affirmed that all foreign employees at Leone Rock have valid work permits, and the documents are available for verification.

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

Mohamed Daffae dilated on the company’s effort in capacitating Sierra Leonean employees through skills/knowledge transfer.

He said the company runs a dual apprenticeship programme in which 70% of training is practical and 30% classroom-based. “Through this programme, over 300 to 400 Sierra Leoneans have been equipped with specialized skills that previously did not exist in the sub-region. Our plant is highly sophisticated and it is the first of its kind in the sub-region. The only other place you will find such a facility is in South Africa. Sierra Leoneans are gaining valuable experience operating such equipment,” he stated.

He highlighted a recent engagement with the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, where the company showcased its dual apprenticeship model.

He said the Ministry was impressed, especially given that the Chinese apprenticeship model is considered one of the best globally.

“Our next step is to collaborate with nearby tertiary institutions like Ernest Bai Koroma University and the University of Makeni. We want them to assess our programme and formally authenticate the certificates of our graduates,” he said.

ASTRONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT

He praised the company’s rapid development since taking over the project in 2020.

“The progress we have made is astronomical. No one believed this level of success could be achieved in such a short time. Of course, we will always have critics but our investments are massive, and we are building high-value infrastructure. We are here to stay and to contribute meaningfully to Sierra Leone. “Leone Rock is a prominent mining company in Sierra Leone, and our contribution to the national GDP is significant,” he said. Recently in Tonkolili while receiving a cheque of over Sixty Million New Leones as Community Development Agreement(CDA) payment by the company,President Julius Maada Bio noted that,LRMG has performed beyond expectations.

“Before the signing of agreement with LRMG, some people believed the company will not succeed. I staked my neck and signed. Today, I have no regrets because the company has performed beyond expectations. I believe as time progresses,LRMG will do more to develop the country,” said President Bio.