The Tolukuma Landowners Association has issued an urgent call to Tolu Minerals management to resolve a severe communication breakdown that saw landowner vehicles turned back at a company checkpoint.

Association Executive Officer Brian Seba confirmed that the convoy was transporting local landowners to a vital traditional program and peace negotiation. Led by Deputy Chairman Peter Bugi, the group travelled along the newly established road on Friday night, November 6, but was denied passage at the first checkpoint located at Dog Mountain.

The turned-back vehicles and passengers have since returned to the association’s base office, where they remain stranded. In a distressing development, Seba revealed that five pigs being transported for the traditional customary ceremony died while the group was held up at the location.

"We need immediate intervention from management," Seba stated, appealing directly to Tolu Minerals and its Community Affairs team to rectify the issue so the landowners can resume their journey.

Seba clarified that the association had complied fully with established clearance protocols. The registration numbers of the vehicles and the driver's license details had been formally submitted to the company ahead of time via both email and WhatsApp.

Under the agreed process, the Tolu Minerals Community Affairs Office is responsible for relaying these details to security personnel at the checkpoints. Seba believes that while the information was successfully delivered to the office, it was never forwarded to the front line, resulting in the misunderstanding.

Formal letters and emails have been dispatched to Tolu Minerals executives. The landowners are urging management to respond promptly and grant them immediate passage while the internal communication error is being investigated.

Tolu Minerals and the Community Affairs Office have yet to issue an official response.

The executive officer of the Tolukuma Landowners Association, Brian Seba, has called on Tolu Minerals management to urgently resolve a communication breakdown that resulted in landowner vehicles being turned back at a checkpoint.

Speaking after the incident, Seba said the vehicles were transporting landowners to a traditional programme and peace negotiations at home, led by Deputy Chairman Peter Bugi. The convoy had travelled as far as the newly established road’s first checkpoint at Dog Mountain before being sent back on Friday night, November 06th.

Seba said the vehicles had been returned to the association’s office base, where their occupants were waiting to continue their journey. He also said five pigs being transported for the programme had died while the group was waiting.

“We need immediate intervention from management,” Seba said, appealing to Tolu Minerals and its Community Affairs team to address the issue and allow the landowners to resume their trip.

He said the convoy’s vehicle registration numbers and drivers’ licence details had been sent to the company through email and WhatsApp, in line with an established process for confirming vehicles at checkpoints.

According to Seba, the Community Affairs Office was responsible for passing those details to checkpoint personnel so the vehicles could be cleared. He said he believed the information had reached the office but had not been relayed to the checkpoints, leading to a misunderstanding and the convoy being turned back.

Seba said letters and emails had already been sent to the company and urged management to respond promptly. He also called for the landowners to be allowed to continue their journey while the matter was addressed.

They are still waiting on the response from Tolu Minerals or the Community Affairs Office.