Citizens of Vetesu Town File Complaint to Voinjama District Commissioner about Illegal Mining!

J. Mason Kollie| Lofa County Correspondent  

Vetesu Town, Lofa County-Friday, October 24, 2025-Elders, women and youths from Vetesu Town, Voinjama district have written a letter of complaint to Voinjama District Commissioner, Hon. David Mawolo about current mining activities happening in Kpademai immediately closed to their area.

As per the content of the letter, a copy of which landed in our possession the citizens alerted Commissioner David Mawolo about having no prior information about the alleged mining activities by their neighbors even though, it is also a fact that both towns are sharing key resources such as river (water) and farming land among others.

They added that already, they have begun experiencing polluted and chemically mixed water flowing on the Moguwor River which traverses both towns and they are sharing.

“This River is where we fetch water for drinking and carry out all our daily activities. This situation is causing us now to suffer for safe drinking water and our crops are now being affected due to the flood of its banks where huge population of the town is farming,” the complaint letter explicitly stated.

The letter written and dated October 21,2025 was signed by one Oldman Manssawala; Town Chief of Vetesu, attested by Madam Deddeh Beyan, Chairlady of the town and subsequently approved by Mr. Paylama Y. Boakai , Town elder with copies shared with almost all statutory authorities in the county concerned including offices of the Superintendent and that of the county health team (CHT) among others.

More importantly, it important to state that few months ago, several media institutions based in Voinjama reported that there were illegal mining activities in the Kpademai Town’s area; something that was denied by some foreign national who refused then to clearly state their nationality to the press.

When the Local authority intervened at the time, they reportedly told the security that they were only in the town for prospecting now with possibility of future arrangements with the community prior to any actual mining.

However, what confused the citizens was the white nationals; believed to be Chinese people have brought to Kpademai forest huge equipment without any public declaration whatsoever as to what is happening.

“We saw them with their big machines, equipment and then telling us that they are doing prospecting in the forest, but since then, we only see our river flooding and chemical from the river” Chair lady Deddeh said in an interview.

Well from the look of things, the people of Vetesu want the District Commissioner to urgently intervene by citing both towns in order to unearth the actual true nature of what is taking place the neighboring town of Kpademai as far as mining is concerned.

For now the situation remains dicey with some residents pointing fingers at unnamed local authority being behind the illegal mining activities presently ongoing in the forest.

In a related development, it is being speculated in several parts of Lofa County, particularly Zorzor and Voinjama districts that there are illegal mining activities within domain of various forests in the county; something the local authorities of Lofa County are yet to confirm.

Meanwhile and as the stands right now, citizens of Vetesu are looking up to Voinjama District Commissioner David Mawolo; who is yet to comment or respond to the letter though he promised to properly address the matter after investigating.

Vetesu and Kpademai towns are twin towns that are closely located around the Mt. Wologizi Reserve Forest in Voinjama district.