ZWEDRU, Jan. 21 (LINA) – Over 30 mining agents are currently undergoing training in Smart Mining in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County.
The agents came from several mining districts across the county, including Tchien, Konobo, and Glio Twao.
Speaking to the Liberia News Agency (LINA) during the Wednesday session of the training, Mr. Richard Maniba, the Public Affairs Officer at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, disclosed that the training is intended to educate miners in smart mining techniques.
The four-day training organized by the Ministry of Mines and Energy with funding from the Norwegian Government and managed by the World Bank through the Liberia Forest Sector Project, is intended to re-orientate miners in smart mining techniques, he said.
The techniques are geared towards exposing miners to better entrepreneurship skills to ensure the practice of safe mining methods in order to maximize proceeds collected from mining.
Over the years, Maniba noted, many miners dug holes, collected gravel, sought the minerals out of them and later abandoned the holes without closing them.
He indicated that such practice poses environmental hazards and renders it practically useless to other human activities such as farming and construction of shelters, noting that the way to curb such practice is to learn the new technologies.
Maniba noted that the land, after mining, could be used for agricultural activities and that after the training, participants are expected to develop positive attitude towards mining.
He urged miners to do away with harmful practices and myths which cannot be authenticated or proven.
He pointed out that myths such as ‘Gina holding the gold’ or ‘ Gina needs blood to release the gold’ are superstitions.
« Geology is a pure science and no myth exists there, » Maniba said, adding, “If you dig, and gold is there, you will find it. »
He called on participants to serve as trainers-of-trainees after the exercise, and challenged them to develop behavioral change in their various communities.
In a related development, Madam Victoria G. Zulu, Mining Agent at the Tchien District Mining Cooperative, expressed gratitude to the MME and partners for organizing the training.
« The training is so rewarding that it exposes miners to Smart Mining. The issues of digging holes and leaving them open is causing more harm to our environment, » Zulu pointed out.
She promised to educate her miners upon return in what she called ‘dig hole, cover hole’.
For his part, Terry K. Jumbo, Mining Agent for Glio-Twao in Grand Gedeh County, lauded MME and partners for the training which he described as “impactful.”
Jumbo noted that the land after mining could be used for agriculture and other human activities, promising to serve as TOT upon return to his community.
The training is expected to be continued in Sinoe and other counties in Southeastern Liberia.
