She said it is simple logic that no investor is going to pour millions of dollars in any country where the risks are high, adding: “Please don’t be blinded by politics to jeopardize the development, peace and stability of our beloved Sierra Leone”.

It can be recalled that Madam Jallow was recently honoured with an award for Outstanding Leadership Achievement in the area of environmental management and protection in Sierra Leone in an awards ceremony organized by the Council of Chief Executives.

It was an annual event that recognizes the contributions of outstanding men and women whose leadership role has had a positive impact in society. Madam Jallow’s role in the area of environmental protection and management in Sierra Leone has received high commendations within and without Sierra Leone, making her Agency one of the highly rated institutions in the country.

The Environment Protection Agency (EPA-SL) was established through the Environment Protection Agency Act (2008) and became operational in 2009. The EPA is housed within the President’s Office and is the main government agency in charge of all issues concerning the environment and climate change. The EPA was established with the goal of creating and enforcing a strict regulatory framework for environmental regulation in Sierra Leone. It has the mandate to coordinate, monitor and evaluate the implementation of national environmental policies, programmes and projects, including issuing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) licenses.

Part of its mandate involves formulating a National Climate Change Policy and establishing a National Secretariat for Climate Change (NSCC), which became operational in 2012.