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Residents within Monankoh and villages surrounding Marampa Mines Limited in the Lunsar district have expressed grave concern over the threat posed by the flooding and water bank in Manankoh and Maforki villages respectively.
On a recent visit, it was realized that the majority of people in both villages heavily rely on agriculture for their daily survival with no formal education that will enable them secure jobs outside the farm.
Manonkoh village is four and a half miles away from Lunsar township and the only road to access it is through a patched mud road that cannot be accessed when it rains heavily as it is usually cut off by the water that overflows from one end to the other.
Residents within that community mostly rely on agriculture for their survival as they claimed not to be employed for reasons best known to the company and some few people.
Manonkoh village youth leader, Ibrahim Kamara who is also a farmer maintained that he dropped out of school at Junior Secondary School and decided to return to his village to engage in farming as a source of livelihood, particularly cultivating rice, cassava, and pepper.
The fourth leader disclosed that Marampa Mines Relations Manager Sheik Umaru Kamara visited the area and assured them that the company will employ the service of others who will use machines to suck out the water causing flooding on their farmland. To date, he said nothing has been done and they continue to experience serious flooding on their farmland.
The chairlady of the women’s group in Manonkoh village, Sallaymatu Fornah a mother of five with the eldest at Junior secondary two, primary four, and two while the rest are yet to start schooling.
She maintained that it seems as if they have been neglected by the authorities despite making complaints and also reporting the issue at the police station.
Even the rice which they have planned to cultivate has been destroyed by flooding. She said they have been battling with this since the days of London Mining to date.
She said they were holding their husbands would secure employment as a way of supporting them but they were rightly rejected by the company.
I hope and pray that this news will bring a positive impact on our people. It’s so disappointing that they have been deprived to their farmland and non of these people are not enjoying a single taste of employment from the said company. We have been deprived from our right due to the selfish stakeholders that have the voices to speak for us. We’re really struggling to make ends meet especially in Manonkoh village. I give many thanks to all people concerned to make this great move. We are expecting greater opportunities as landowners in our village and it environs. A native son of the soil Manonkoh village. Abu Bakarr Ibrahim Kamara.