Csos Witness Signing of Land Lease in Bombali Sherbora

Concord Times (Freetown)

Vickie Remoe

11 July 2011

Freetown — Landowners and farmers in Masori, Bombali Sherbora Chiefdom met with AddaxBioenergy Sierra Leone and civil society representatives at the signing of land leaseacknowledgment agreements with 13 villages in the district. SeventeenAcknowledgement Agreements were signed with a total of 112,761,000 leones paid foryearly lease of community land. Before the signing of the agreements between thelandowners and Addax, members of staff from Addax Community Social Affairs, HumanResources, Finance, and Farmer Development Departments made several presentations.

The issues discussed ranged from employment opportunities for the villagers, salaries,and the company’s farmer support program which provides training and mechanizedfarming support to communities in the project area for up to 3 years.

Speaking at the ceremony, Bai Shebora Kasanga II, Paramount Chief of BombaliSherbora explained that while Addax had paid 20% of the lease agreement monies to the Chiefdom Council, the acknowledgement agreement payment was reserved exclusivelyfor the land owning families. Mr. Alfred R. Conteh, Secretary General of the NationalAssociation of Farmers, pleaded with landowners not to squander their land rents but toutilize them to develop their communities. He further implored the farmers “to take theFarmer Support Program seriously, as it will go miles in increasing food security”.

Jorgen Sandstrom, Deputy Managing Director, Addax Bioenergy Sierra Leone, speakingat the gathering explained that his company was committed to working in partnershipwith all stakeholders, including the government, and those present to ensure that thepeople of Sierra Leone benefit from the project. He said that the acknowledgementagreement was developed because Addax was concerned that the landowners would notreceive their fair share of the land rents.

Mr. Sandstrom gave details of the conditions thatexisted before the creation of the acknowledgement agreement wherein, the local districtcouncils had no system in place for direct payments to landowners. This meant thatlandowners had little if any means to hold local districts accountable for payments madeto them. Therefore, in partnership with 5 different law firms, and in consultation withcommunity leaders and local government, the land acknowledgement agreement a yearlypayment to landowners for the use of their land made directly to the landowners wascreated. This is the first time that an agreement of this type has been made in SierraLeone and Addax believes that it sets a good precedence for others in the private sectorwith regards to community engagement and corporate accountability.

Ms. Shellac Davies, National Coordinator for Sierra Leone Association ofNongovernmental Organizations (SLANGO) expressed her satisfaction with the level oftransparency at the gathering. “We have heard a lot about Addax’s operations and I cameto see for myself. The fact that this process is happening in the presence of the legalrepresentatives of the land owners, the Paramount Chief of Bombali Shebora, CSOs, andcommunity members has debunked those negative stories”.

She pleaded with the menfolk present that they should use the monies paid to them to educate their daughters aswell as support their wives in the running of the household. Also, speaking at the eventwas Mr. Joe Pieh, Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society for Peace and DevelopmentCSOPAD – Northern Region, he said that it was their role as civil society to monitorAddax’s work in the community and to ensure that the company kept to its promises. Hespoke out against “sycophant self interested briefcase NGOs” who have partnered with”white elephant international NGOs to derail Addax operations”.

Moreover, Mr. Piehexplained that CSOPAD had been provided with all the necessary documents in relationto all the agreements between Addax and the communities, which their organization hadevaluated and found to be in the best interest of the people and in the line with thegovernment’s agenda for change. He went on to say that in the event that Addaxdisappointed or went against the people that CSOPAD would be there to raise the alarmand ensure that the rights of the people were protected. However, until then civil societywould continue to work in partnership with Addax Bioenergy and the people of theaffected communities in Bombali, Malal Mara and MGbari Gbanti chiefdoms.

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