Senator Teahjay Alarms Over Illegal Mining Activities

By Jackson C. Clay, Jr.

Sinoe County Senator, Milton Teahjay has alarmed over an alleged illegal mining activity currently ongoing in the county.

Senator Teahjay raised the alarm Tuesday, May 21, 2019 in the plenary of the Liberian Senate through a communication filed to that august body.

According to Senator Teahjay’s communication, some illegal mining activities is currently taking place in Sinoe, Grand Kru, and River Cess Counties.

“I write to bring to the attention of the Liberian Senate the issue of unprecedented mining actives currently taking place in Sinoe, Grand Kru, and River Cess Counties. As you may be aware, the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy has three classes of licenses namely A, B and C,” he noted

The Sinoe County Senator indicated that unfortunately for the three counties, those whom the Ministry has issued class C license to are allegedly performing class A and B mining activities, something, the lawmaker said is defrauding government of needed revenue.

Senator Teahjay indicated that those alleged illegal miners are defrauding the government of Liberia of millions of dollars that according to him should have been used to better the lives of the ordinary Liberian people in the country.

He alleged that there are over five thousand Ghanaians currently in those counties carrying on those illegal mining activities and want the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy arrest the situation.

“Those affected communities include ITI, River Cess County, Klowen, Menia, Konwonkpo, Diyankpo Jarpuken and Karquekpo, Sinoe County and some other communities in Grand Kru County.

He wants the Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy to tell the Liberian Senate what mechanism being put into place to monitor the activities of those the ministry issues licenses to in the country to operate.

Senator Teahjay vowed that to reach the matter to President George Manneh Weah in the event where the ministry fails to bring the situation under control, because according to him the Minister works for the President.

Meanwhile, the plenty of the Liberian Senate has mandated its committee on Lands, Mines and Energy and the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) to probe the situation and report back to plenary within a week time at which time the Senate will take further action.