In a shocking display of negligence and disregard for national security, the Ministry of Finance-under the leadership of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP)-has effectively abandoned the welfare of the country’s military, police, and correctional forces. Over 30,000 men and women in uniform, who sacrifice daily to maintain peace and stability, have now gone four excruciating months without their entitled monthly rice supplies.
The reason? Chronic government failure.
Sources close to the matter confirm that rice suppliers have halted all deliveries after the Ministry repeatedly defaulted on payments, racking up arrears in excess of 300 billion old Leones. Despite countless promises by the Ministry to settle these debts, no action has followed. Instead, the government’s repeated assurances have proven to be nothing more than hollow lies.
“This is not just a delay—it’s a betrayal,” one security source told this Medium last evening. “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 flamboyant spending decisions in other sectors and on foreign junkets, while the basic needs of its defenders are ignored. Morale across the ranks is said to be 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, which is responsible for disbursing funds for welfare provisions, has failed time and again to treat this issue with the urgency it deserves. Its silence in the face of widespread hardship is both deafening and damning.
As the crisis drags on, tension builds—not only within the barracks and precincts but also among the public, who fear the long-term implications of having a disgruntled, neglected, and demoralized security force.
The Ministry of Finance must be held accountable. And above all, the suffering of those who guard this country must end—immediately.
This medium will continue to monitor and bring live update regarding the rice supply process; by making sure that the Ministry of Finance do the needful.
