Member Info for JimBL

'without'!

What is this 'plan' you keep referring to, Mark? There was a plan following the decree last year and the BOD specifically told us that they knew of no other impediment to the license issuance having completed all necessary steps.
Moreover, we have now restarted exploration at Ogaro, the Nayega plant has been tested, the COO is siting bore holes to enable production increase, and there's been a well attended site visit inclusive of various Togo Gov department personnel - so, there is obviously a 'covid plan' in operation.
I won't see anything positive in the SMT leaving country without the license again - or with a definitive date for it to be issued and production to commence.

Got to leave with the license or with definitive news on when its being issued and when production will commence. Using your sh*t analogy, we'll all otherwise be left contemplating the old adage of "Here I sit broken-hearted, paid my penny but only f*rted".

'Easy to state the upside here ... and all too easy to see the downside should they leave without what we need.

That's increasing to 25,000 tpm, Diggit, not pa! The reason that Stacey, the COO, was reported last week to be siting boreholes is for that very reason.
Money coming in, an increase of production at Nayega, and probable asset increase from Ogaro will all be value driving factors. Nothing bigger of course than us being debt free and immediately cash creative once we can get producing.

Perhaps they did, Mark - but we didn't, and no one else was reporting on it before the event happened on Friday. It seems far more likely (to me) that the team got wind of this, hence the timing of the trip and the now reported extension.
Fingers crossed this is all irrelevant and we get the news we are awaiting.

As I posted earlier, when Klassou was first appointed as PM back in June 2015, his predecessor stayed on until he was in position. The process only took 2-3 weeks. However, as Friday's actions have been expected since February and appear routine, a successor and his cabinet recommendations are likely ready to be appointed and have been discussed with the President?

"Is there anything you can say to us loyal shareholders regarding the permit still going ahead or is this going to be another huge hurdle in our path to producing?"
Price sensitive, surely? Doubt he'll say anything on those matters specifically.

Well, to be fair, we don't know yet if he needs to save face. He will if this complicates matters again - and he won't if it's all a moot point as things will be sorted next week.

"The Council of Ministers of Togo consists of members appointed by the President with the advice of the Prime Minister." It seems to be the case therefore if the PM leaves after 5 years, then so does the Cabinet - either reappointed or newly appointed by the new incoming PM.
Like I said though, a timing fiasco from a PR perspective for us.

Got to believe that the trip was set up at this time with full knowledge of these events?

So, when this last happened in 2015, the then PM stayed in position until Klassou himself was appointed only a few weeks later. I suppose we should expect the same unless a new PM is already lined up and ready to go.
The Cabinet at that time was named 5 weeks after the previous one 'resigned'. Resignation not being as dramatic as otherwise understood, as these seem to be expected political happenings.
Bit of a PR clanger from KRS/RL to say the least though - especially after yesterdays news and photo ops.

FFS! However - "The move had been expected after President Faure Gnassingbe was reelected in February for a fourth term in office, but the changes were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. "
I'd find it unbelievable that our SMT is out there and was/is not fully in the loop. Probably explains the additional stay next week. Let's hope we remain set to move ahead and this is not yet another debacle in Togo which keeps us on hold.

Hopefully, in mine and other LTH cases (I presume) - some way back to break-even at least!

The two 'security guards' with batons look well equipped in their flip-flops to deal with any problems ;-p

Yup, I'm leaning that way too. However, fathoming the timeline, actions, and decisions of African officials is a crap-shoot at the best of times.
Hopefully the direct in your face approach of remaining in country (and publicity) is enough to keep them all focused on actually passing their own approvals!

Just a reminder - we aren't looking at Ferro-Manganese any longer. Nayega ore is suited to production of silico-manganese alloy.
From RL last year - " The bulk sample produced higher than expected manganese content and, due to the expected relatively high silica content, it has been determined that the ore is better suited to the production of silico-manganese rather than the production of ferro-manganese... In addition, with the inherently volatile nature of the downstream manganese alloy market and the growing demand for a cost effective, responsibly mined replacement for cobalt in the production of lithium-ion batteries, we have started additional leach testwork on the Transitional and Saprolitic zones of the Nayega orebody that were not tested in the bulk sample. It is widely understood that reductive leaching is not always amenable to all manganese minerals, let alone able to selectively dissolve the manganese content of the ore, so the initial testwork results are a very encouraging first step. It is our intention to follow up this work with a further detailed testwork programme aimed at optimising the leaching conditions and studying the purification processes required to ensure the production of a battery grade of manganese."
NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) is a battery combination Tesla have preferred and were pursuing.
Anyhow, the team have met with the PM and the Minister of Mines. Remaining for another week seems to be suggestive of perhaps a formal/public meeting and sign off with the President (who was absent until this week)?

None of us, or the market, are stupid. We know what this trip meant and means. Returning without the license again, or a 100% guarantee of when it will be forthcoming would be the literal death knell for Nayega. The news today is entirely as a result of - and answering - that (I believe). I personally am yet to be impressed by the Utah acquisition, but it's already licensed, in a safe environment and its producing - so, it has no comparison to Togo.

SBK, scepticism is warranted and understandable - god knows you all know my thoughts! My take on this is good - as whatever way this falls it has to soon be the end of the matter. We either start producing as the Gov decreed we would last year, or we end with the reality that its not going to happen My take therefore is that a decision one way or the other has to be better than perpetually drifting in the dark.

Bi-polar, huh? If only we were mining Lithium, then I'd be well catered for - if we had a license to do so ;-p

Maybe masochist is a more suitable term than pessimist? God knows those of us who have been here for some time have endured some pain in order to hang on in here! But the fat lady still isn't singing yet - just warming up her vocals one now hopes.