THE GOVERNMENT, THROUGH the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), says it has arrested five Chinese nationals in Rivercess County, a region believed to be increasingly engulfed by unregulated mining activities.
THE ARRESTS, WHICH took place recently, are part of the government’s broader initiative to crack down on illegal mining operations and enforce mining regulations, coupled with protecting the country’s natural resources.
IT CAN BE recalled that the government shut down Hongtu Mining Limited, a Chinese mining company and turned over its authorities to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution after being accused of carrying on illegal mining in Mat House Town, Dweh Community, District 1, Grand Bassa County.
LIBERIA, A COUNTRY WITH rich mineral resources, including gold and diamonds, has struggled with issues of illegal mining activities for years after attracting both local and foreign miners, many of whom operate without proper licenses.
HOWEVER, THE MINISTRY, through its Minister, Wilmot Paye, disclosed that the arrest was a joint operation of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, including several state security agencies during the crackdown.
THE DECISIVE MOVE by the Ministry of Mines and Energy to apprehend five Chinese nationals in Rivercess County is both welcome and overdue.
FOR TOO LONG, Liberia’s mineral wealth has been siphoned through shadowy operations that blight local communities, cheat the treasury, and erode confidence in the rule of law.
A COUNTRY BLESSED with gold and diamonds should not find its rivers choked with silt and its forests scarred by illegal excavations.
THE ARRESTS SEND a clear signal that the days of impunity are numbered if the government follows through.
THE MINISTRY OF Justice must press for swift, visible trials and hefty penalties that outweigh the profits of illicit mining.
ANYTHING LESS EMBOLDENS violators and signals that illegal extraction is simply the cost of doing business in Liberia.
IT IS CRUCIAL that Diplomatic channels should reinforce domestic enforcement, ensuring that companies and individuals face repercussions both at home and abroad.
FOR CHRIST SAKE, our nation’s resources can be a blessing, not a curse, if the crackdown recently announced becomes a consistent policy of deterrence.
THE ARRESTS IN Rivercess County can mark the start of that transformation provided they are the first step of many moves to turn our mining industry from “business as usual” to “business un-usual”.
