By Hassan Osman Kargbo

After his controversial victory for his second term as President of the Republic of Sierra Leone during the June 24 Polls, President Bio and his administration noted that they would be embarking on Agriculture and the project was named ‘Feed Salone’ so that citizens could get access to food and other local commodities in the country. But, the million dollar question citizens have been asking is that during his first term in office the Bio-led government lunched a whooping sum of 500 million United States dollars project and it was called the ‘Tormabum project.’ And this project according to them could create about 500 thousand jobs for Sierra Leoneans. However, it is more than 5 years now since the project was launched and citizens have been in a dilemma as to whether the project is ongoing or they have swept it under the carpet.

Also, citizens have been asking series of questions on the Tormabum project and some of these questions are: What is the current situation of the Tormabum project? Have they made any gains in so far as the project is concerned? And many say this government has failed in the old Agriculture project and now they have brought this new Feed Salone project, so will the Poapa Government succeed on this new flagship project?

Despite the huge sum of 500 million United Stated dollar project from the government for the Tormabum project, yet, lots of people are struggling to get two mile and talk less of the three mile per day in the country. According to the Director of Commination at State House, Myk Berewa, in one of his 2019 Facebook post on social media: “Sierra Leone is set, for the first time, to produce a projected 16 metric tons of rice from extensive farming activities in Tormabum (Bonthe) and Pujehun Districts by 2022/2023- The project will cost a whooping sum of 500 million United States dollars. Government has consented has parts of the agreement to pay 100 million United States dollars. This is going to create so many jobs and the Deal is sealed today.”

The above post was done way back in 2019 and people were expecting a lot but since then nothing to show in relation to job facilities and to also ease the problem of food shortage in the country. It seems like it is just a still born promise from those politicians and now they have implemented another big five game changer which Agriculture is in the centre stage. In this ‘Big Five Game Changer’ agriculture is on top of the president agenda hence the advent of ‘Feed Salone Project.’

President Bio launched his flagship program Feed Salone Project on the 16^th October 2023, as it seeks to ensure food self-sufficiency, job creation, and economic growth in the country.

Forum News S/L conducted a vox pop in order to seek the views of the citizens in relations to the old Tormabum and this current Feed Salone Project. Musa Fofanah, who is a text driver plying the Regent road to Lumley route said: “The Feed Salone project is a good initiative if only the government is able to actualize it? But, his only horror was that they hadn’t heard any positive information from the previous project that was lunched way back in 2019 which was the Tormabum agriculture project…”

Musa noted that before this time, they have had about the Tormabum agriculture project in the past five years, but up till now, citizens are yet to known what is really happening with that project. People have been expecting to buy rice at the lowest price in the sub region, but it seem like everything has been kept under the carpet. The price of basic commodities is skyrocketing on a daily basis in the country.

He continued, now that the President is talking about Feed Salone, which is a great idea, however there is a question mark surrounds the said project taking into consideration the  experiences that people had gotten from the Tormabum project which he said proves to be a white elephant.

Isatu Daramy, a business woman along Back Street in the central business district said Sierra Leone leaders are good at launching programs or projects, but the implementing   those projects  launched has proven to be  the biggest problem in Sierra Leone.

She adding that President Bio might have the vision to make agriculture as a priority, but his ministers might not work in the best interest of the government to enable the president succeeds in his Feed Salone agenda.

She said if the President want to succeed in the Feed Salone strive, he really needs to work with all sectors in the country, if not, the Feed Salone Project could also be kept under the carpet like the Tormabum project.

‘In Sierra Leone we have seen a lot of launchings from President Bio since its inception with little or no implementations system,  that is why she said she still have  reservation  with this Feed Salone project again from this current regime.

Hassan Turay, a business man at Free Street expressed joy for the Feed Salone project but wondering when will the Feed Salone project accomplish as things are very expensive across the country.

‘Even our local produces are expensive in the market places, said Hassan.

But Hassan’s remains optimistic that if the government normalizes the current economic trend, they will surely achieve food sufficiency for all Sierra Leoneans and by so doing the country would start purchasing local products at a minimum cost.

‘This is a great move for the country, we just hope and pray that the government put modalities in place to actualize this Feed Salone project, I am still skeptical about the accomplishment of this particular project,’ he said.

However, the government promised to allocate 10 percent of the country’s budget over the next five years to this ambitious national project for which many hold the view that the twenty two (22) percent budget allocated for education failed talk less about allocating ten (10) percent to Feed Salone Project and this might also seems not achieve it desire goals for the country.