The Resident Minister Eastern Region, Gbessay Jusu Jaka Ngobeh, was on Tuesday 8th September 2026 accused of undermining an ongoing investigation by the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Mineral Resources during a District Security Committee [PROSEC] meeting in Kenema, as tensions escalated over competing mining claims in Nongowa Chiefdom.
The meeting, held to address the dispute between JM Mining Kenema Company SL Limited, Nongowa Chiefdom authorities, and the Ministry of Mines, ended with allegations that the Resident Minister pressured traditional leaders and landowning families to accept Western Gold Mining Company, despite unresolved questions of community consent and pending parliamentary findings.
According to participants at the PROSEC meeting, Mr. Ngobeh told the room he “only follows Government rules.” Yet he also admitted that proper landowner consent was not obtained and that fraudulent activities occurred in the application process, including the alleged copying of the Paramount Chief’s signature and the use of his stamp to shift blame away from the culprit.
The Resident Minister said he was acting on “alleged, not formal, instructions of the Executives,” attendees said. He further stated that the Government had already granted an Exploration License to Western Gold Mining Company and that the Paramount Chief “has no choice but to accept it, otherwise he has a problem with Government.”
That position, critics at the meeting argued, directly conflicted with efforts by Parliament. The Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Mineral Resources has been conducting a Summon Hearing and Local Inquiry into the matter. JM Mining representatives stressed that all parties should wait for the Committee’s preliminary report and resolutions.
According to multiple accounts from the meeting, the Resident Minister was “not interested” in waiting and pushed ahead.
Stakeholders alleged that Mr. Ngobeh mounted pressure on Nongowa Chiefdom authorities, landowning families, and other stakeholders to support Western Gold Mining Company, even though the chiefdom had taken a position of non-consent pending the parliamentary outcome.
The Paramount Chief and legitimate Nongowa authorities, attendees said, insist that decisions on land and mining should be made freely, without political interference.
Landowning families told the meeting they continue to support JM Mining’s original concession and want it to continue its work. They said that position was never resolved because of the stance taken by the Resident Minister.
Questions were also raised about documentation. The Paramount Chief and chiefdom authorities demanded copies of exploration agreements, landowners’ lease agreements, environmental approvals, and records of community consultation for Western Gold.
Meeting accounts state that the Resident Minister acknowledged the Paramount Chief’s signature was manipulated, but dismissed its importance.
Attendees described the PROSEC session as “stage-managed,” with the Resident Minister reading directives “off hand” without documentary proof or reference to parliamentary resolutions as required by law.
They further alleged that landowners were not allowed to express dissatisfaction over how some families were allegedly manipulated by Western Gold Mining Company through fake documents not signed by them. Apparently fraudulent or fake Lease Contracts were said to be circulating without transparent presentation.
The Paramount Chief was, according to those present, openly disregarded and referred to by the Resident Minister as someone “undermining Government” after presenting the chiefdom’s preferred position of non-consent.
“Mining-related decisions should be reached through consultation, dialogue and lawful procedures,” one stakeholder told the meeting. “Instead, pressure was applied to landowners and traditional authorities.”
Despite that, stakeholders questioned whether the push for Western Gold amounted to preferential treatment over JM Mining, possibly based on individual interests.
Nongowa stakeholders called for an impartial, transparent meeting involving landowning families, the Paramount Chief, chiefdom authorities, government representatives, the Mines and Minerals Development Agency, JM Mining and Western Gold to resolve the dispute.
They argued that any company seeking SierraSeat operate in Nongowa must demonstrate compliance with Sierra Leone’s mining and land laws, and that respect for the rule of law was “totally neglected” at Monday’s meeting. Several attendees said the Resident Minister threatened to “deal with” anyone who went against his directives.
The central issue, stakeholders maintained, should be the protection of land rights and interests of Nongowa communities not the interests of any single company.
Neither the Resident Minister’s office nor Western Gold Mining Company had issued a formal response by press time. The Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Mineral Resources is expected to release its preliminary report.