FINANCE MINISTRY UNDERMINES NATIONAL SECURITY, EDUCATION
The Ministry of Finance is under growing criticism for its persistent failure to pay contractors supplying rice to the country’s security sector and the School Feeding Program, despite repeated promises and mounting consequences.
Multiple contractors who have been supplying rice to the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), Sierra Leone Police (SLP), Correctional Services, and the School Feeding Program say they have not been paid for months — some dating back over four months. As a result, many have halted all supplies, crippling vital services and sparking concern across the country.
The impact has been particularly severe in the security sector. Sources within the military and police describe morale as “dangerously low,” citing a chronic lack of food rations as a key issue. “We are asked to protect the state, but we can barely feed our families,” one officer told this publication under anonymity.
Efforts by the leadership of the security forces — including senior officials in the military, police, and prison service — to engage the Ministry of Finance have so far yielded no results. Meetings have been held, letters written, and pleas made, but payments remain pending.
In the education sector, the School Feeding Program — seen as a crucial tool in improving attendance and reducing hunger among schoolchildren — is also facing collapse. Teachers and education officials in rural districts report that meals have stopped entirely in some areas, with children returning home hungry and parents raising concerns.
What baffles many observers is the Ministry of Finance’s silence and apparent indifference. Despite direct engagements from affected ministries and agencies, Finance officials have yet to offer a clear timeline for payment or a public explanation for the delay.
The issue raises serious questions about government priorities and fiscal transparency at a time when billions are reportedly being spent on other projects. Critics warn that continued neglect of such essential services risks not just administrative failure but broader social instability.
With no resolution in sight, pressure is mounting on the government to act. As one contractor put it: “If we cannot pay for rice for our soldiers and schoolchildren, then what exactly are we running this country for?”