IPNEWS: The Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Mines and Energy has issued a very stern warning towards the tailing mining operation of the Liberia Tailing Inc. in Grand Bassa County, relating to its failure and refusal to live by the mineral laws of Liberia.
The Ministry in a letter dated July 7, 2020 addressed to Mrs. Clavenda Bright Parker, Chairperson of the Board of the Liberia Tailings Inc. (LTI), stated that her company’s right as Class B mining was put on hold due to the company’s abandonment of the project since 2015 including its failure to pay license fees to the Government of Liberia.
“Mrs. Parker, the information posted is correct and was not posted because of errors initiated from our technical staffs as averred.
The communication said, “Records in our possession revealed that your company abandoned the project in 2015 and since then, neither did the company make any license fees payment nor did it carry out any Class B activity.”
The Ministry stated in a July 7, 2020 letter to Mrs. Parker warning her to stay from the mineral rights over the Bassa Tailing Class B mining rights.
“Records in our passion also show that since your company obtained the Class B mining license in 2007, they first renewed October 12, 2010 with new license # (MBL-2010-0022, MBL-2010-0015MBL-2010-0016). During the initial license period, no mining activities took place,” the Mines and Energy Ministry stated in its warning letter to LTI.
“Despite no mining activities being conducted and in support of Liberian owned business, your License were again renewed on December 6, 2014 with new License # (MBL-945-14,MBL-947/14) being issued again, since the license were issued in mining activities and has taken place. Additionally, we reviewed the record of activities of your company and found no submission of no technical report and work plans as required by the License over the past ten (10) years.”
Observers believe that this is suggestive of the abandonment and automatic termination of the project by the Liberia Tailing Inc. as Mrs. Parker, the new minerals mining law of 2000 is crystal clear about inactivity of license holders, and that mineral rights obtained under the minerals and mining laws of 2000 may be terminated by the government of Liberia on four counts described according to Sec. 9.14. in such case, Sec.9.14 (B) clearly state that: 1-that where the operation shall fail to carry out exploration in accordance with a proposed exploration plan, case exploration for a period of twelve consecutive months when subject to an exploration license, case mining for a period of 12 consecutive months when subject to a Class B mining license, or 24 consecutive months when subject to a Class A mining license, unless such failure or concession.
“Relative to the assertion, your company wrote former Minister of Mines and Energy in April 2016, requesting his approval of a postponement of the Buchanan project and the temporary suspension of the tenure of the Class B mining license that was attributed to the collapse of the iron ore market. The Ministry wants to remind you that there is no provision in the current mineral and mining laws that allows the holder of Class B license to request and obtain approval for suspension of activities. It is from this backdrop that former Minister Patrick Sendolo failed to honor your request.”
At the same, Grand Bassa County Superintendent Janjay Baikpeh has welcomed the decision of the Mines and Energy Ministry as it is aimed at making sure that the matter was brought under control in the fair interest of the Grand Bassa people.
Superintendent Baikpeh in a letter dated May 27, 2021 to the LTI management further warned the company to stay away from engaging into any wrongful acts of tailing mining in the county, thus advising that anyone one doing such will be violating warning from the Ministry of Mines and Energy and could be dealt with by the full weight of the law.
