By Kadijatu Bangura, Reporter, D.S.
In a troubling display of negligence, the Sierra Leone Ministry of Finance, led by the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), has effectively abandoned the welfare of the nation’s military, police, and correctional forces. Over 30,000 personnel, who sacrifice daily to maintain peace and stability, have gone four months without their essential monthly rice supplies.
The cause of this crisis? Chronic government failure.
Sources confirm that rice suppliers have ceased deliveries due to the Ministry’s repeated defaults on payments, accumulating arrears exceeding 300 billion old Leones. Despite numerous promises to settle these debts, no action has been taken. “This is not just a delay—it’s a betrayal,” a security source remarked to Salone Compass. “We are suffering. The very government we protect has turned its back on us.”
This catastrophic welfare failure comes at a time when the SLPP government continues to make extravagant spending decisions in other sectors and on foreign trips, while the basic needs of its defenders remain unmet. Morale within the ranks is reportedly dangerously low, with officers from the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), Sierra Leone Police (SLP), and Sierra Leone Correctional Services (SLCS) expressing growing frustration and disillusionment.
The Ministry of Finance, responsible for disbursing funds for welfare provisions, has consistently failed to treat this issue with the urgency it requires. Its silence in the face of widespread hardship is both alarming and unacceptable.
This situation raises a critical question: What kind of government starves its own protectors?
As the crisis persists, tensions mount—not only within the barracks and precincts but also among the public, who fear the long-term implications of a disgruntled, neglected, and demoralized security force.
For a government that touts “progress” and “stability,” this is a significant failure. The SLPP must answer to the nation. The Ministry of Finance must be held accountable. Above all, the suffering of those who safeguard this country must end—immediately.
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