BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
THE Leader of Opposition Matthew Wale has slammed the response by the Minister of Mines & Energy, describing it as a mockery and lame attempt to defend the actions of the minister.
Wale’s response comes amid the Mines and Energy’s strong rejection of his concerns of procedural breaches or ministerial overreach regarding the Mines and Energy Minister’s proposed granting of a mining license to Far East Resources Company Ltd for nickel mining operations on San Jorge.
The Mines and Energy statement, in defending the Minister, assured the public that the regulatory framework governing the mining sector is being strictly adhered to and that all mining projects are subject to rigorous legal scrutiny.
The Ministry further explained that no mining license application can be processed without fulfilling the requisite statutory conditions under the Mines and Minerals Act and other relevant legislation.
The Ministry firmly stated that, contrary to the claims made by the Opposition Leader, NO mining license is issued unless these legal requirements are met in full compliance with the established legal framework.
However, Wale slams the response, stating that in light of the concerns raised, eyewitnesses have testified to seeing the Minister disembarking from a boat owned by Far East Resources Company Ltd at Kokonut Café just on Monday night this week after returning from a private trip to Kopiu village in his Constituency.
A press statement issued from the office of the opposition leader yesterday indicated that the mining company’s boat that picked up the Minister was driven by his brother.
“How can this be so? Isn’t this a clear case of conflict of interest, and isn’t this the same story that we have heard before?” Wale questioned.
Wale said in the statement that this recent incident only confirms the concerns raised by the San Jorge landowners.
“If the Minister can travel in a boat owned by the mining company, how can they trust him to uphold the law and be neutral in dealing with the company’s pending application? What if this is just one of the many favours the mines minister is getting from the company?” Wale questioned.
According to the statement, the Opposition Leader said that this is a conflict of interest at the highest level in any democratic country upholding the principles of transparency, accountability and good governance.
Wale said that the Mines Ministry’s response in the media recently to defend the mines minister is ‘shameful’.
“The response by the ministry deviates from the core concern raised by the landowners of San Jorge, and it is shameful when we are trying to mislead the people when the red flags are evident,” Wale said in his official statement.
Wale said that successive governments have recklessly handled the mining sector in this country for far too long.
The opposition Leader said the government’s failure to address the long-standing issue in Renbel bauxite mining is just one of many examples of the Government’s gross mismanagement and incompetence in the mining sector.
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