BY BEN BILUA
NEW reports have emerged that the Nickel deposit in Isabel has been sold like hot cake at the expense of landowners and innocent people who will be affected by the mining operations.
More controversial arrangements have emerged as information regarding the mining operation at Suma and other proposed mining operation in Isabel province continues to come to public.
Early this week, this paper published a similar article stating that the process which led to the granting of mining licence to the company that operates at Suma was done without satisfying the country’s law.
On Monday, it was identified that Solomon Island Resources Company Limited (SIRC) was the company operating at Suma tenement – one of the nickel rich deposits on the Island.
Yesterday, new information states that the owner of Solomon Islands Resources Company Limited has sold its share to Win Win Mining Company Limited.
Report states that Solomon Islands Resources Company Limited now owns another PL over South East San Jorge under a new company name FAR EAST.
These report reconfirmed that Win Win Mining Company is the company currently operating at Suma Tenement.
Report has it that the landowners of Suma tenement objected to proposal for Win Win to be granted the prospecting license during a meeting with the Mines and Mineral Board but to their surprise the government rejects the resolution.
Knowing that the landowners will not accept Win Win, the government granted Solomon Islands Resources Company Limited (SIRCL) the mining license little that the landowner knew that SIRCL will later sold its shares to Win Win hiding behind a different company name.
It seems that the transfer of shares between Solomon Islands Resource Company Limited and Win Win was done without consulting the landowners and it is the very reason why there is no legal agreements which includes benefit sharing reached for mining operation at Suma.
Latest report states that SIRCL have 90,000 plus wet metric tons of extracted nickel ores at 1.5% nickel to 2% nickel at their designated stock piles at their Suma Mining Project.
The pressure in on the Ministry of Mines and Energy (Mines Department) for export permit.
Scholars and prominent leaders of Isabel province are seeking clarification from the Ministry of Mines and Energy for the mess the Ministry created.
The question is, who is behind all these mess? Is it the ministry? The government? The politician? The landowners?
