By Foday Jalloh
In a bid to beat the continuing food insufficiency in the country, the line ministries – Agriculture Forestry and Food Security in partnership with the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry Justice Sierra Leone Judiciary, through the Office of the Hon Chief Justice, are at advance stage of discussions aimed at reforming convicted prison inmates to farmers.
The deliberations from the justice sector angle, is being championed by the Office of the Hon Chief Justice, in making sure that proposed state farms under both ministries are cultivated by sentenced and convicted prison inmates with hard labour, disclosed Sierra Leone Judiciary Communications Directorate.
The Director of Communications, Sierra Leone Judiciary, Elkass Sannoh has in an interview with FORUM NEWS SL disclosed that the discussion between the Sierra Leone Judiciary and the Ministry of Agriculture entering strategic partnership near conclusion.
The move is geared towards large scale rice farming across specific districts in the country, to enable convicted prisoners serve their jail sentences in farms rather than incarceration until their jail terms end.
In random interviews with Sierra Leoneans from various locations within the capital, Freetown, and its environs, expressed desires that President Julius Maada Bio and his administration pay greater attention to the country’s agricultural productivity thereby increasing food sufficiency.
It is believed that such partnership between the growth sector and the justice system will go a long way in addressing the country’s staple food challenges.
With large farms that will be soon established by both government agencies are set to create a space for convicted persons sentence with hard labour to spend in those proposed farms while serving their jail sentences.
Citizens furthered told this medium that keeping convicted persons in incarceration has always been liabilities on the state.
The Judiciary of Sierra Leone under the current leadership of the Hon Chief Justice Babatunda Edwards with the laudable decision to partner with the Ministry of Agriculture is aimed at complementing government’s food sufficiency drive in the country.
With mass unemployment rocking the youth that has largely influences increased crime and lawlessness in the country, many are of the views that such partnership will help in reducing unemployment, crime rates, lawlessness and boosts economic growth in the country.
We want to see convicted persons sent to such government farms to cultivate rice that will over time reduce the heavy importation of staple food- rice, citizens desire.
Well-meaning Sierra Leoneans are thus calling on banking institutions, private companies, ministries, and other government agencies venturing into agriculture to collectively beat food insufficiency in the country.
