By I K Musa in Kenema :
The Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources, Abdul Ignosi Koroma, has dished out monies for the diamond mining community development fund to the tune of over 781 million Leones to mining chiefdoms in Kenema and Kailahun districts in the east of Sierra Leone.
The handing over ceremony to paramount chiefs of the various mining chiefdoms took place at the Kenema District Council (KDC) hall, Nyandeyama Road in Kenema City on Thursday 24th May 2012.
Out of the total sum dished out, the Kailahun District Council bagged Le12, 674,393; Kenema District Council (KDC) bagged Le120, 134,750. Kailahun district received a total of Le76, 418,116 and Kenema District received a total of Le571, 965,484.
Formally handing over the cheques to the paramount chiefs, the Deputy Minister called on all and sundry, especially the paramount chiefs, not to allow illicit mining in their chiefdoms, adding that a portion of the licenses money go back to the chiefdoms for development. He said the more licenses are obtained in a particular chiefdom, the higher the money that chiefdom receives for development. He thanked the paramount chiefs for their effort in helping the government in generating income for the nation, and cautioned all for the proper utilization of the money which he said was meant for the entire chiefdom.
Giving the vote of thanks on behalf of the receiving chiefdoms, the paramount chief of Nongowa Chiefdom, PC Alhaji Amara Bonya Vangahun IV, thanked the government for giving them the mining chiefdom development fund. He said it is a yearly chiefdom fund they receive from government as long as they continue to disallow illicit mining in their chiefdoms. He promised his audience that they will use the money for its intended purposes.