The Chief Executive Officer of African Minerals Limited (AML) Allan Watling has told ministers and the visiting Shandong Iron & Steel team that his visit up at the mines for a week has left him in shock as the construction work has been so rapid that he did not believe his eyes.
Mr Watling who was in a happy mood said they are right on track as they are expected to start drilling by the end of the year.
He said they will start drilling about 50,000 meters and that will give them the required quantity to start export.
“I have been in this industry for 30 years and I have lots of experience and know how to make such a project a success”
He assured all the ministers that AML mines will be operated within the rules of the game and it will be safe, environmentally friendly and make sure the areas they are working enjoy the benefits.
Mr Watling said AML will become an international company and they will strive to make it one of the biggest in Africa.
On the employment of Sierra Leoneans, he said they have more than 80 percent and they will continue to employ them as the mines develop.
Welcoming the guests from Shandong Steel, the Minister of Mineral Resources Alhaji Alpha Kanu, said he was happy for their visit and conveyed the president’s message to them.
He said the country has few mining companies but has 135 exploration companies.
“African Minerals is new but it is the biggest in the country and they are now in local and international news as they help to rebrand the country. AML has changed the wrong concept of people as they are now very important in our economy. During the exploration they employed about 500. Even when the laws did not permit them to do corporate social responsibility during exploration, they have built schools, dug boreholes, and gave scholarships. This means now that they have the mining license they are going to do more than that”.
He praised the Shandong delegation for coming to see for themselves and urged them that they have chosen the right company to work with.
Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Haja Saidata Sesay in her own short remarks said the government is fully in support of AML working with Shandong Steel and her own ministry will continue to propagate the information locally as well as internationally that Sierra Leone is open for business and that is why the ninth largest steel company is now in the country working to make Sierra Leone a better place.
She thanked Alpha Kanu for a good job done and said he will continue to get all the support from the other ministries so long it is for the good of the country.
Minister of Labor and Employment Minkailu Mansaray welcomed the Shandong team and thanked them for joining with AML to mine and develop the country.
“As Minister of Labour, Sierra Leone will only progress if we have more employed workers. Our labor laws are friendly and AML proved it that is why they have currently employed about 4,000 workers. I am sure it will rise to 20,000 when the mining kicks off proper”.
He said Shandong’s arrival is a complementary effort to AML in the employment industry.
He told them not to be skeptical as Sierra Leone is a very friendly country and they are working with a very good company.
“I will be very happy if you can come quickly as we are in a hurry to develop”, he concluded.
David Carew of the Ministry of Trade and Industry reiterated that they have been working and already know all and he is optimistic of a huge success.
He told AML of their commitment to secure goods and services locally as that will help uplift all sectors of the economy.
“AML is now the leaders for others to follow in the developmental strides as they have brought back railway in the country. This railway and the new Ports built by them has now taken Sierra Leone to another level”.
He stressed that the ore will finish one day but the infrastructural development will be there for all to see.
“I am dreaming of the day when we will start smelting the ore and producing iron rods in different sizes”.
He hoped that AML and Shandong Steel on one side and the Government on the other will benefit and wish them well.
Minister of Transport and Aviation Momodu Alieu Pat Sowe thanked all the ministries involved that have made AML and Shandong partnership a success.
He said AML is linked to his ministry because they use air, land and sea transportation.
“Because of AML the records in the ports have shown vast increase as they are coming in with machines equipment and containers”.
He assured them that the Pepel port will be repaired soon and the new port they are building west of Tagrin will help in the exportation of the ore.
He told them that his ministry will do all they can to improve infrastructure in the transport sector and also the road network.
Dr Denis Sandy of the Ministry of Lands and Environment said he was very very pleased to be part of the gathering because it is very developmental.
He said he was happy that the land in question has been given to AML and Shandong Steel.
“We should maintain and preserve the environment in a very friendly way as mining does destroy it. So I am appealing to you to make sure that as you go along mining, please prepare an environmental programme that will keep the mining area friendly to all”.
He said he is sure that AML has already opened a department dealing with environment problems and he would be happy if they have one already, if not he urged them to set it up now.
He advised them to work with environmental agencies for a successful mining in the country.
The Vice President of Shandong Iron and Steel Mr Jurong Cui said he was happy for all the contributions and presented them with gifts and promised to make Sierra Leone a better place.
Mr Gibril Moseray Fadika thanked all the ministers on behalf of AML and promised them that AML is associated with development and they will work with the government and people to improve the country as well as the people.
He introduced members of AML and said the company has a good policy of recruiting young and educated people to feel in positions that matters.
He promised the ministers that their CSR will continue and it will not only be limited to the areas of their operations but country wide. “That was why we donated $500,000 to the 50th Independence Committee”.
The Visiting Shandong team met with President Bai Koroma and also Vice President Sam Sumana and they should be leaving by the end of the week.