It could be recalled that this publication wrote an opinion piece on 30 August 2024 raising the alarm about ELECTROS as a fictitious company that might endanger the prospects of the promising rare earth minerals sector of Sierra Leone
The Government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources (MMMR) and the National Minerals Agency (NMA), has issued a press release dated 24 September 2024 debunking what it referred to as fraudulent claims by Electros, a phoney company lying about exporting lithium from the West African nation.
This alert came after several publications, notably one in the Gleaner Newspaper, falsely claimed that a company named Elektros had begun shipping lithium from Sierra Leone. The MMMR and NMA swiftly investigated these claims, confirming that no such company named Elektros operates within Sierra Leone, nor does it hold a mining license or has it applied for one.
It could be recalled that this publication wrote an opinion piece on 30 August 2024 raising the alarm about ELECTROS as a fictitious company that might endanger the prospects of the promising rare earth minerals sector of Sierra Leone.
On August 15, 2024, the Company entered into a 13-year ground lease agreement for a Lithium mine located at Gbu-Gbu village Gawola Town in the Tinkoko chiefdom Bo District in the southern part of Sierra Leone, West Africa. It also claimed to have already begun initial preparations at the mining site, with the first shipments of lithium-bearing rock aggregate expected to be ready for off-site processing and milling in the coming weeks.
However, the Minister of Mines stated that those erroneous reports had caused a stir among stakeholders and potential investors. To mitigate the confusion and potential financial fallout, the MMMR and NMA reiterated that no lithium export had occurred since no company had yet commenced lithium production in Sierra Leone.
The authorities urged all stakeholders, especially journalists and mining investors, to verify any claims of mineral exports with the NMA, emphasizing the importance of due diligence in business dealings related to mining in Sierra Leone. They pledged to keep the public informed and maintain transparency over mineral exploration and exploitation activities within the country.
