Bo — A total of 19 Paramount Chiefs in the Bo and Pujehun districts were in jubilant mood over the weekend as they received a cheque of seven hundred and twenty-four million, three hundred and fifty thousand, five hundred and twenty five Leones (Le724, 350, 525.00) under the Diamond Area Community Development fund, DACDF.

The money was made possible through the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Political Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry Internal Affairs, Local Government and Rural Development. Mineral Resources minister, Alhaji Alpha Kanu said the money paid was for 2008/2009, adding that the payment of DACDF started in 2001 under the Sierra Leone People's Party government.

"It is important for us to continue what they have already started. The money paid did not determine the number of diamonds concaved at chiefdom levels," he said. He noted that the money dished out was based on the number of licenses obtained by miners at chiefdom levels and that the DACDF has made it obligatory for communities to be developed.

"I am very much disappointed at the low turnout of community representatives. I think it would have been good for them to witness the ceremony for transparency," he noted. Minister Kanu revealed that next year his ministry would work out the percentages from licenses obtained for gold mining in communities.

Internal Affairs minister, Dauda Kamara admonished the 19 Paramount Chiefs that the fund was for chiefdom development and not for personal use. He appealed to them, the community people and mines monitoring officers to monitor mining activities in their respective chiefdoms.