By Ragan M. Conteh

To help elucidate the citizens about the Feed Salone project, the Opposition Chief Whip, Hon Abdul Karim Kamara, has provided sufficient justifications that the FEED SALONE initiative is a white elephant project.

The Opposition Chief Whip disclosed that the government cannot feed the nation when the citizens receive low income and unfavorable salaries and that as a result money paid them can’t suffice to buy high cost on food and commodities affected by hyper-inflation in the Sierra Leone.

He furthered to narrate that to sustain food availability, energy is essential because the food the citizens consume requires preservation, and a nation’s economy cannot thrives well with 90% of its population who are unable to access electricity.

He maintained that the government is just fooling the people about the implementing the FEED SALONE project as the country is still battling to have sustainable energy. He said sustainable energy is one of the factors that could determine the realization of the food initiative by government.

Opposition Chief Whip emphasized that agricultural production if that is the only  means the government is  thinking to address food security.

“They are toying with the welfare of the people because most of the roads leading to the production centres are in deplorable stage.”

In that regard, to ensure efficiency of the project the absence of it is putting everything at stake.

Opposition Chief Whip lamented that politicizing agriculture sector is the worst any government can do as it has the proclivity to hamper its progress and such is visible in Agriculture Business Centres (ABC) that are not being utilized  for the past or half a decade.

He was calling on the government to depoliticize the agricultural sector, while improving on the welfare of the farmers, constructing more feeder roads as that will serve as a pathway to be able to feed the nation.

He pointed out that, Feed Salone project has become one of the most deceiving projects under the leadership of President Bio.

He said it is well established that high cost of living was one of the pinpoints of this administration, a campaign trick they utilized to be able to boot out the APC administration in 2018.

They proclaimed that it’s unacceptable for the citizens to purchase a bag of rice at le 250.000 during the campaign periods.

AKK said it became a persuasive campaign rhetoric by the current administration to the extent that many citizens cast their votes in favor of the ruling SLPP.

However, he stressed that since they took up governance the prices of commodities have skyrocketed to the extent that the minimum wage cannot afford a man or worker to take home a bag of rice.

He said the food insufficiency and insecurity is the order of the day now more than ever.

He said majority are going to bed with empty stomachs whilst those who are the pioneers of FEED SALONE have enough to eat.

“This uncanny situation has caused many households to become disarray as the breadwinners are unable to meet their responsibilities while in governance,” he said.

He informed that the worst of it all is that the government is irresponsible to address the welfare of the people but that the projects they have implemented seeking to provide resolutions have never been materialized.

He said despite all of these they are all over the country, especially in the media landscape such as on radios and TVs speaking about the project to dilute the minds of the people. They say in the media that the FEED SALONE initiative aims to eradicate hunger in the country.

He said there is no indication to justify that the citizens can live better life but should prepare for the worst to come as the current administration is known for making disillusions in public.