Tensions have escalated between one of Sierra Leone’s largest mining investors and the Office of the First Lady, following a stern legal warning from Octéa Limited, the parent company of Koidu Limited, over what it describes as unlawful conduct by Dr. Fatima Maada Bio.
In a strongly worded letter dated May 6, 2025, Octéa’s Acting General Counsel and Director formally notified the First Lady of their intent to pursue legal remedies over her alleged role in inciting labor unrest, making defamatory statements, and interfering in the company’s operations.
The letter accuses the First Lady of exacerbating a crisis at the Koidu mine site by publicly encouraging strike action, issuing unverified allegations, and making declarations that Octéa says have threatened investor confidence and Sierra Leone’s international reputation.
It claims that these actions were not only outside her mandate but also in violation of key labor laws, including the Industrial Relations & Trade Union Act of 2023.Octéa maintains that Koidu Limited has operated within the legal framework and has been a cornerstone of Sierra Leone’s mining sector since 2003.
The company cites its significant contributions to the national economy, including over US$173 million paid in taxes and royalties, US$320 million in local procurement, and US$21 million allocated to resettlement initiatives. It also claims to have injected more than US$15 million into community development efforts and created over 1,000 direct jobs, with an additional 10,000 supported indirectly.
According to the letter, the 2025 Sierra Leone Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (SLEITI) report named Koidu Limited as the top taxpayer in the extractive sector and confirmed the company’s full compliance with labor regulations.
Despite this, Octéa alleges that Dr. Bio made false claims about worker mistreatment, unfair pay, and poor conditions—issues the company insists have been addressed in prior assessments.
Octéa noted that the lowest-paid staff currently earn wages more than three times the national minimum and enjoy healthcare and other welfare benefits for themselves and their dependents.
In what the company describes as a grave breach of protocol, the First Lady reportedly told workers that she alone had the power to instruct them to return to their duties. Octéa argues that such statements not only undermined management but also destabilized the workforce.
The company further alleges that members of the First Lady’s team obtained signatures from mine workers under misleading pretenses—ostensibly for rice distribution—only to use those signatures in support of claims about mass resignations and severance demands.
The most troubling aspect, according to Octéa, was an alleged suggestion by Dr. Bio that the company should shut down operations and exit Kono District if it failed to comply with her demands. Octéa claims that these remarks, combined with threats to stage protests at the mine site, created a volatile situation reminiscent of past clashes that ended in tragedy.“This is not only a matter of reputational damage,” the company warned in the letter.
“Your conduct has endangered lives, disrupted public order, and jeopardized national economic interests.”Octéa has called for an immediate end to any further involvement by the First Lady in matters concerning the mine and insists that all future communications be channeled through the appropriate regulatory and governmental bodies.
The company warned that it is prepared to take legal action if its concerns are not urgently addressed.
