By Alusine Sesay
It is almost three months since Koidu Holdings and First Lady Fatima Bio have been having a running battle over the welfare of employees of the multi-national mining company.
Alongside aggrieved mines workers, the First Lady had staged a protest demanding several other things, including the recognition of workers’ union, the provision of living allowances, a 30% salary increment, overtime compensation, performance-based incentives, access to safe drinking water, and financial autonomy.
The protest, which was led by the first lady, centered on several key demands aimed at securing fair treatment and dignity for the workers. It was claimed that many employees had faced difficulties due to inadequate wages, long working hours without proper compensation, and a lack of basic necessities such as clean water.
During the protest, the first lady accused some government ministers of not serving the interest of the populace, but rather their selfish interests after they had collected brown envelopes from the company.
In her own words, Madam Fatima Bio had claimed that she was sent by her husband, President Bio, to represent her people in Kono and save them from the injustices they were going through in the hands of the company.
Initially, according to Fatima Bio, the company agreed to address the demands of the aggrieved mines workers, albeit the company later reneged.
After a protracted battle, the company decided to halt operations, accusing the first lady of economically undermining the government and the country as whole. They accused Fatima Bio of orchestrating an illegal strike action.
The company reacted by laying-off over one thousand employees and threatened to take legal action against the first lady.
Koidu Holdings further accused the first lady that her intervention jeopardized thousands of Sierra Leonean workers, and as well, deprived millions of US dollars in much needed revenues.
According to the company, “The initiating of illegal strike action, which has resulted in the immediate halting of operations of one of Sierra Leone’s largest foreign direct investors, underlines the country’s precarious position regarding its desire to attract the investment it needs from foreign investors, particularly when such actions are endorsed and visibly supported by those who are seen as part of, if not proximate to, the government of Sierra Leone. The macroeconomic consequences of your actions will have severe repercussions for years to come and is potentially devastating for Sierra Leone.”
The company has demanded the payment of US$20m to restart operations and that the dismissed or terminated employees could resume their duties immediately and their entitlement to End of Services Benefits reinstated.
Fatima Bio on the other hand has filed a suit against the company, demanding a compensation of some thousand United States Dollars. The battle line is drawn! And many have been hoodwinked into joining a battle without asking some salient questions around the issue.
The first lady had claimed that she was sent by her husband, President Julius Maada Bio. No one is qualified to say that the first lady lied to the public, but why is it that the President didn’t sack those responsible to handle that matter, especially the Minister of Labour?
Is it that the first lady is in a battle with the president in a dark room? Is she sounding the agenda of the president or going against his will? In all of these, the President had maintained some quiet aloofness, maybe trying not to hurt anybody-neither his wife nor his ministers.
The president has neither openly supported his wife nor sacked any of the ministers accused of receiving brown envelopes from the company. All of them are maintaining their cabinet positions with the Chief Minister in the company of the president wherever he goes.
Government has structures and the issue around Koidu Holdings is purely industrial. And the Ministry of Labour is charged with the responsibility to handle all industrial matters. Was the ministry not aware about the issue?
Was the ministry complacent to handle the issue until the president sent his wife to handle them? I strongly believe the Ministry of Labour was aware and is competent enough to handle those issues in a way everybody wins-the company and the state.
But again, the Minister’s hands are tied. He cannot stand up against the first lady for fear of losing his job.
Although the first lady had acted in good faith and deserves accolade for that, but fighting a multi-national mining company is like wrecking a whole government. These multi-national companies act as shadow powers and have the potential to destabilize a whole system through their actions.
Inasmuch as the first lady is fighting for her people in Kono (where she hailed from), but she must do so with utmost caution. It is possible that those she is fighting for may end up blaming her. They are now out of job and the first lady cannot provide them with one.
Let’s say the president’s hands are clean, but that should be demonstrated by actions. Failing to act would be an indictment on the presidency. The issue around Koidu Holdings is a national security issue and shouldn’t be allowed to prolong.
Those sacked miners have their families and friends as dependents and the President should not keep a tight lid on the issue.
He has something to do as the Fountain of Honour and he must act to see that the issue is resolved. As citizens, we have the right to know the president’s position in this matter, whether he is with the company or with his people who voted him as president of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
