2 Comments 
The Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Mineral Resources, chaired by the Rt. Hon Saa Emerson Lamina, Thursday, 10th July,2025, conducted a hearing involving Sierra Rutile Mining Company at the Speaker’s Board Room at Parliament Building at Tower Hill in Freetown.
During the hearing, Chairman Hon Saa Emerson Lamina stressed that mining was an opportunity for economic growth, national development, and benefit for the people, and also a profit to the investors. He emphasized that the government heavily relies on mining and went on to assure the witnesses that Parliament would also promote a win-win situation for all.
The Committee discovered that a Sierra Leonean indigenous investment now owns Sierra Rutile, and the local content policy was fully applied.
During the presentation, the COO revealed that the company had six mining areas but is currently operating at area one. According to him, area one has envisaged challenges since 2018, and pricing continued to deteriorate in the world market.
He informed Members of the Committee that the cost of production outweighed the cost of operation. According to him, the company is going through a transition.
The COO told the Committee that the Sembehun concession is a big hope, and they are striving hard to commence operation in that area by 2026. He assured the committee that Sierra Leoneans would continue to lead and maintain the skills. He disclosed to the Committee Members that owing to challenges, the company redundant some staff last year.
According to the COO, the total capacity is around two thousand five hundred workers, including contractors.
Additionally, the following observations were made by the Committee:
- The Committee observed that a Sierra Leonean investment took over the company.
- It was observed that the Sembehun concession is a big hope.
- The Committee expressed worries over the redundancy of staff members from three thousand in the last few years to about two thousand five hundred
- It was observed that most management positions are now manned by Sierra Leonean compatriots.
- It was observed that the cost of operation outweighed the cost of production.
- The company was advised to promote locals in light of improving the human capital development to maintain expertise.
- That the company’s corporate social responsibility development is tangible and visible across the host districts’ mining operations.
- That the company amidst going through serious crises or challenges but still provides CSR.
- It was observed or alleged by one of the host MPs that the company is facing serious contention with landowners in connection with crop compensation.
- That money paid by the company to host communities for agriculture is not properly utilised, and there is no semblance of sane activities.
- It was observed that the people own receipts for crop compensation by the previous company, and
- Finally, the Company assured to address the issue surrounding the compensation through a win-win situation, and they would continue to comply.
All what the management is saying is true but the management have issues with themselves because they only care about they alone not the works. people are been marginalized in the mining especially the security Department, they are vonorable no body to talk for them they are sack with out benefits. There are some areas which can have at least five or six personal, what they will do is send only two personal and when something got missing the security Department will just forward the issues to H R so that they people will be investigated and sack. why, the fourths is the management because there is vacancy for security Department the whole sierra Rutile security are not up to 300.This area should focus the management can take more personal for the safety of there properties if someone thinks am lien release a team to come and visit with out the knowledge of the management and you will see what am talking about
From the exodus of Sierra leone as a country lacks good managerial capacity or ability. When I heard the information that Sierra rutile management had given up the company, I noticed that it was going to be a crisis for those working there. Also, the level of corruption that has been going on for decades of years in the company is a potential existential threat. Starting from the management to that of the ordinary security were all involved in a serious corruption and stealing, respectively. So, for a sierra Leonean to manager, such a routine system is absolutely involving and I am worried about the future of the company itself. No one would like to run a business without optimising profit. The government needs to be proactive if they want to see the continuity of the company as the system is full of corrupt Sierra Leoneans that don’t work for the future of their country.