The Gbense Chiefdom Youths Steering Committee, led by Tamba Kamanda, faced an unfortunate misunderstanding when the senior management of Seawright Mining Company (SL) Limited misinterpreted the objective of their scheduled update session for constituents.

The confusion arose from misinformation received by the company, wrongly suggesting that Gbense Chiefdom Youths had blocked the main road leading to the mining site and threatened to burn the company’s properties. Upon this incorrect information, the executive director, Ibrahim Sorrie, and the entire management team arrived unannounced at the meeting venue, creating tension as the youths perceived their presence as an obstruction since they were not invited.

The Gbense Chiefdom Youths Steering Committee clarified that the meeting’s purpose was to update constituents on the unfulfilled agreement between the chiefdom and the mining company, spanning nearly three years. The misunderstanding highlights the need for accurate communication channels to avoid unnecessary tensions and conflicts in community-business relationships.

The chief among the agreement was that, no ore, mining materials/kimber should be transported from Boroma pipe-3 concession in Gbense chiefdom to Meya mining company limited or Koidu Holding because it has a negative economic impact of the chiefdom; the company should respect the cooperate social responsibility and the local content policy of Sierra Leone.

Related News

Secondly, the people of Gbense only know Dr. Alfred Seaweight as the owner of the Seawright mining company (SL) limited and no one else. Even though the chiefdom heard that there is a shareholder that holds a 70% shares of the company, yet the chiefdom wants Dr. Alfred Seawright to take 100% ownership his company.

They maintained that, the reason why the chiefdom want Dr.Seawright is that, his developmental legacies in the chiefdom is huge as compared to his partner, whose representatives are not working in tandem with the agreement being signed by the late Paramount Chief, PC.Sahr Femgai Korgbende Kaimachende and the mining company.According to the youth and the people of gbense which this outlet interviewed stated the developmental projects undertaken by the businessman and philanthropist in the chiefdom before even that start of his mining  operations are  follows: construction of a fish pond,poultry farm, cold room and borehole water facilities in the following communities Gbukuma, Koidu school of commerce, Kaidu, training of youths in poultry and fish management/farming to name a few. As a result of the aforementioned, and many more, so, the people want to be grateful to Dr. Alfred Seawright because of these for which the youth are calling on the attention of the government, the stakeholders and Dr. Alfred Seawright himself to do all they could and get back his company.

Aiah Bayoh, the youths representative in the company  calm down the situation and listened to various concerns raised by the youths, he appealed with them to maintain peace and to put their grievance in written so that it can be addressed at management level.

The incumbent youth chairman Aiah Bayoh commonly known as ( A-Boy Bayoh) who doubled as the human resource manager of the said company strongly talk to his comrade to upgrade themselves in skills training as the company cannot employ everybody at the same time.

He made a clarion call to the chiefdom Speaker to keep the leadership qualities that was display in front of everyone.