Section 4, The Diamond Supplementary Agreement (1955) Ratification Ordinance, 1956

SUBJECT to the provisions of this Agreement the Government willnot prior to the First day of January One thousand nine hundred and seventy-five grant to or permit to be held by any person or company (not being an African belonging to Sierra Leone or a company in which the beneficial interest or the greater part thereof is owned by an African or Africans belonging to Sierra Leone) any rights to prospect for or mine diamond Provided that nothing in this Clause contained shall prevent the Government from (i) granting any such rights to any person or company if prior to such grant the Government shall have offered the said rights to the Company in respect of substantially the same area (or an area including such area) and on not less favourable terms and the Company shall have failed to accept such offer within such reasonable period as may be notified to the Company by the Government as the period during which such offer shall remain open 2184 Cap. 210] Diamond Agreement (1955} for acceptance or (ii) granting a diamond mining lease to any person or company to whom a diamond prospecting licence has been granted in pursuance of the foregoing provisions of this Clause in respect of the area concerned.