Sierra Leone Telegraph: 24 May 2021:
President of Kingho Energy Group, Colin Ding has promised to optimise the Tonkolili Iron Ore grade from 52% to more than 65% so that the company’s product will be globally competitive.
Mr Ding made this statement during a community engagement ceremony held in Bumbuna Town, Dasogoia Chiefdom – one of the mining chiefdoms in the Tonkolili District of Sierra Leone. “Our visit this time is to reveal Phase II of our project for the Tonkolili Iron Mine,” Mr Ding said, adding that phase two of the project is going to involve designing and building an optimization plant that will increase the grade and value of the Tonkolili Iron Ore from 52% to more than 65% Iron.
Mr Ding added that the designing and building of an optimization plant will be the first time in the history of the Tonkolili Mine that the iron ore mined will leave Sierra Leone with such a globally competitive grade. He said “Kingho is not here just to mine what we meet but we are also going to add value to what we mine right here in Sierra Leone.”
In addition, the Kingho President assured that once phase two starts, the product the company export will have higher value and there will be more revenue coming to the Government of Sierra Leone and the 1% paid to the communities will also increase.
Against this backdrop, the Kingho President used the opportunity to thank the stakeholders for their patience during the challenges the company was faced with. He said, “your support has provided comfort for us and increased our confidence to invest more and do more in terms of business development in the communities and increase our community development projects.”
CEO of Kingho Investment Company, Gilbert Zhao assured that what Kingho has started doing in its operations in the communities is just the beginning. He said that Kingho’s ambition is to grow stronger with the communities. He added that “the developments we will bring into your communities will benefit the youths, women and children as our community development support plans covers agriculture, health, education, water and sanitation.”
Director of Community Affairs Kingho Investment Company, Madam Judith Kosseh spoke about what the company has done in its three mining chiefdoms of Dasogoia, Simiria and Sambaia.
Paramount Chief of Dasogoia Chiefdom who chaired the meeting and spoke on behalf of the people of the mining communities emphasized the importance of the engagement meeting with the mining communities. He said the decision of the Kingho President to come from China and deliberate with them shows that the interest of the people is at the heartbeat of Kingho’s development programmes.
Biankay Bangura, one of the landowners from Simiria Chiefdom said that they are very optimistic that the model of community engagement Kingho has used will bring more people onboard including creating more job opportunities and empowering the people. He said he is hopeful that this will benefit them the land owners.
Sierra Leone Police Local Unit Commander Tonkolili District, Alphonso A Fambulleh called on the people to always seek redress from the appropriate authorities. He called on people to never take the law into their own hands. However, he called on the company to go strictly by the mining industry regulations especially on issues regarding employment
Several other stakeholders from all the three mining communities and the Tonkolili District spoke at the auspicious programme, which was accompanied by the symbolic handing over of the rehabilitated school at Kegbema Community to the Deputy Director of Education Tonkolili District and also the launch of the Women in Agriculture Project in all three mining chiefdoms. The programme was climaxed with traditional performances by the people who warmly welcomed the Kingho staff.
Kingho Mining Company Limited is a subsidiary company of Kingho Investment Company Limited. Kingho Mining is undertaking mining at the New Tonkolili Iron Ore Mines in Sambaia, Dasogoia and Simiria chiefdoms of Tonkolili District, Northern Province of Sierra Leone. It was the Government of Sierra Leone which officially handed over the New Tonkolili Iron Ore Mining site to Kingho Mining Co Ltd on 23rd September 2020.
This Chinese government is much more smarter than expected, if you really love this country Sierra Leone and care about it’s development. Grading iron ore from 52% to 65% what a bullshit! These guys are stealing our wealth. I don’t actually understand what’s going on in my beloved country folks, all the major parties currently just focusing on 2023 general and presidential elections; none of them is making any attempt to protect this country. A friend of mine just WhatsApp me a video clip, where the former President EBK was bragging saying “No court should choose the flagbearer” and he continues saying: Did the court appoint me as a life chairman of the APC party? the audience yelled, no!! Ladies and gentlemen, let’s pray for our country Sierra Leone.
We are always backward, when will we go forward? only God knows. Too much gridlock, the politicians care about no one but themselves. The older doctors not ready for the younger ones to take over. Our better scholars always dreaming about going abroad with their families.
The Sierra Leone of the 70s and today’s 2021 education are not comparable at all. Some graduates from our colleges today cannot be compared with 1970s form 3. Let’s come out and tell the gov’t when something is wrong. Stop using indecent and vulgar language. May God protect our country Sierra Leone. Amen
Gentlemen – There was once an industrious man that came from a far country desperately looking for acres of Arable land to grow the rarest kinds of organic crops in the world; He approached an old shrewd Farmer that owned thousands of fertile acres of land and asked for his help saying; “I have seen with my own eyes how luscious,plush and green your lands are; This is exactly what I have been searching for to grow my rare organic crops;” he said, as he cleared his throat; The old farmer stood as quiet as a mouse listening; Then the man from faraway continued; “If you lease me just 50 acres I will enhance, upgrade and maintain it as if it was my own property; I will first brush and make it clean as the head of a bald man and rid it free of pests and then I will introduce little crops that add organic matter to the soil. Next I would add green manure to improve the structure of the soil ; After all of this has been accomplished then my real work will begin and the results from my labors will be outstanding and abundant beyond my wildest dreams.”
The Old shrewd farmer shook his head and smiled; “Your intentions are admirable;” he said; “No one has ever said such nice words like those to me before; You spoke about measures to improve the fertility of the land so that it can showcase her real strength by bringing forth her abundant harvests for YOU. Now I ask you what do I stand to gain in all this, after all the land belongs to me.” The man from faraway was speechless – he stammered,but had no words to give.(lol)
Folks,I am not concerned at all about what Mr Colin Ding does to upgrade the quality of Tonkolili Iron Ore; Such a strategy will be in their best interests – that’s what every smart investor will do; But the big question is this: WHAT’S IN IT FOR SIERRA LEONE? Our people can no longer be fooled by the sweet words of investors – they are hungry, give them what rightfully belongs to them and what they deserve now. (lol)
It all sounds good until the clever Thief proves beyond doubt to officers in pursuit that he can outrun them like young old impalas leaving old crawling turtles far behind in the dust. We’ve heard such exhilarating words before coming from criminals posing as Investors that ended up short-changing communities, polluting the environment and exploiting our resources for their own self centered interests. But I am a Patriot that believes in giving people second chances to redeem themselves from actions of wilful and intentional organised criminality in the past that has totally stifled progress and injured the ties, bonds of friendship and trust that once existed between Investors and the good, welcoming people of my beloved Sierra Leone. Go right ahead Kingho Mining and do your thing but remember this; “As you make your bed so also shall you lie on it;” Are we clear? Now Mr Colin Ding this is the point where your response should be..CRYSTAL (lol)