By Ragan M. Conteh
In an effort to complement government’s effort on the ‘Feed Salone’ agenda, Chief Emmanuel A. E Tomi has dedicated fifty hectares piece of land to a group called ‘Get what you want trading’ for agricultural purposes.
This happened at Tankoro Section, Lei Chiefdom, Senehun Town, Kono District Section.
The plots of land will be used to cultivate varieties of crops and will improve youth employment in that part of the country.
The dedication was done at the town hall meeting with his villages chiefs, youth leaders, and women’s group in the chiefdom headquarter town, Senehun on Monday, March 25, 2024.
Chief Tomi thanked citizens and residents for keeping the peace and for obeying the rule of law, saying that every village has various group with different roles in making sure that there is development in his chiefdom. It is more appropriate for them as patriotic citizens of Sierra Leone to engage in farming as a way of complementing the government of President Maada, he said. Bio ‘Big Five Game Changers’ especially the‘Feed Salone’ will only reduce the hardship if Sierra Leoneans grow what they eat.
According to the chief, long before the brutal civil war, citizens used to engag in farming activities but got it obstructed due to the war.
“The Boli Bridge will be used for farming as long as I exist,” chief Tomi said if the land is cultivated and harvested everyone in his chiefdom would benefit.
He said past governments pay way for the land which is to be utilized.
He encouraged everyone to own to the project and see it as a development for everyone especially youths and women’s group.
He said this is not politics and people should not politicize it nor it is a tribal thing, stressing that it would reduce the unemployment rate in that part of country while promising transparent process as he said there will be no communal labour.
Chairlady of the Chiefdom Madam Fatmata Bambi on behalf of the women thanked their leader for such an initiative and promised the full support from all women’s group in making sure that they own the development, noting that they have been faced constraints especially not getting support from outsiders.
She therefore encouraged all women to support their husbands as that would pave a way for job opportunities for their children.
For his part, Komba Samba the village head of Wodu village said since his arrival in the village agriculture has helped him during his youthful age and he thanked their leader for the development initiative.
Machiel A. Yonga is the youth leader of Tankoro Chiefdom who expressed excitement for the initiative taken by the leaders.
“This is happiness for us as youths,” he said , saying that if the president of Sierra Leone stands for agriculture and their leaders are bringing agriculture they as village men would not sit back and look down on agriculture instead will own that project.
The youth added that if agriculture is in their chiefdom other developmental initiatives will follow and as youth, they stand to benefit from it.
“As youths it will reduce our sufferings. It will also benefit our children and the unborn children,” Yonga emphasised.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the farming group, Mohammed Adams Jalloh appreciated the Tankoro section chiefs for the gesture and promised to grow and cultivate useful products for the people in that part of the country, noting that he would collaborate with other meaningful agricultural experts including the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security to comlemplement the government of President Bio’s agenda which is the ‘Feed Salone’ priority.
“I have been cultivating in this land for three years without any personal benefits,” he asserted, pointing out his moltivation is to embark on agriculture to support the government’s agenda.
He added that the only thing that can improve a country’s economy is when the citizens cultivate what they consume.
Speaking on the challenges, Jalloh said local farmers find it very difficult to have access to machinery, and the reason for the establishment of the project is to assist local farmers especially women in farming by providing machinery and seeds including capital.
The meeting ended with a unanimous agreement from all stakeholders of the chiefdom to make good use of the initiative as it will reduce suffering of citizens and will increase job availability for youth and women.