‘National Emergency’

-Rep. Wesso Declares illicit Mining

By Jackson C. Clay, Jr.

Gbarpolu County district two Representative, Cllr. Kanie Wesso has declared as ‘national emergency’, the act of illicit or illegal mining across the country.

Representative Wesso in a statement issued Monday, February 25, 2019 said he wants all illegal or illicit mining sites across the country be closed, particularly in the area where the recent disaster took place in Nimba County.

“I find it very prudent that the government of Liberia declares illicit/illegal mining a National Emergency and that this action be followed with immediate closure of all illicit mining sites in the country, especially area where the disaster took place,” representative Wesso statement noted.

The statement further quotes the Gbarpolu County Representative as saying that the act of illicit mining which is going on large scales in some areas across the country is also keeping hundreds of children and youth of school going age out of school in the country.

Representative Wesso named Tuma River belt in Gbarpolu County, along the Vai River between Lofa and Gbarpolu Counties and the Kartee Gold Mine in Nimba County as some of the areas which according to him illicit mining are currently taking place, thereby risking the lives of struggling Liberians.

At the same time, Representative Wesso has sent out condolences to the families of those forty (40) miners who were trapped in the mudslide at a gold mine, Kartee Gold Mine in Nimba County.

“The Office of Gbarpolu County district two Representative, Cllr. Kanie Wesso sends out with heavy heart condolences to the families of the forty (40) miners who were trapped underground at the Gbanipea Gold Mine in Nimba County,” the release said.

This tragic incident occurred February 10, 2019 in a town called Gbonipea Town about ten kilometers (10k) away from Tappita, district number six in Nimba County.