Rice Farmers of Malal-Marah Chiefdom Share President Kabbah's Vision

President Kabbah's Vision of food for all Sierra Leoneans by 2007 received a major boost on Sunday, 28 December 2003 when he witnessed first-hand the commencement of rice harvest at Rowaka Village, Malal-Marah Chiefdom, Tonkolili District in northern Sierra Leone.

On his way the President inspected road construction works of the Masiaka-Pamlap sector of the trans-african highway linking Sierra Leone and Guinea via Port Loko and Kambia, up to the Guinean border town of Pamlap.

The President's convoy travelled by road from Freetown to Makeni and proceeded along the Makeni-Magburaka highway before turning into the almost-forty-miles of unpaved road that ended at Rowaka, a small farming community on the banks of the Rokel river.

Local dignitaries had assembled to welcome the President and his entourage amid drumming, dancing and singing. At the welcoming ceremony the Paramount Chief of Malal-Marah Chiefdom, Bai N'lal N'soilla III, thanked President Kabbah for the visit and said that light had now entered their chiefdom since that was the very first time in the history of Sierra Leone that a Head of State had paid a visit to the chiefdom. He further thanked President Kabbah for ensuring that there was peace and tranquility throughout the country and Malal-Marah in particular.

President Kabbah, while making his address thanked Paramount Chief Bai N'lal N'soilla III and the people of his chiefdom for their hospitality and reiterated that his mission as leader of the Nation is to empower the people of Sierra Leone of every part by creating the necessary conditions for development and wealth-creation to take place.

The President's visit was principally to witness the beginning of harvest by Mr. Sahid Koroma, who together with others had undertaken to cultivate some 3,000 acres of rice farm. The farm utilises a number of tractors and harvesters and were on display during the visit. The leader of the project, Sahid Koroma, spoke about the farm and how he entered into partnership with a few people to cultivate the land and the support they had so far received from the chiefdom people.

Mr. Koroma called for government support by way of providing assistance to irrigate the farmland since they were operating on the banks of the Rokel River and for the granting of waiver on duty for machines they had imported.

In his statement, President Kabbah praised Mr. Sahid Koroma and his partners, together with the Paramount Chief and people of the chiefdom for undertaking such an impressive venture. He said that the work they had engaged in was a boost to his food security agenda and his proclamation that by 2007 no Sierra Leonean must go to bed hungry. The President explained that his vision of food security could be realised if people worked hard and emulated the example of Sahid Koroma and the people of Malal-Marah and that 'food for all' could be attained well before 2007. The President disclosed that an Investment Code for the country was nearing completion and that incentives for those operating in the business, industrial and agricultural sectors of the economy would be embodied in the code. President Kabbah gave instructions to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security to address the issues of providing technical assistance for an irrigation scheme in the area and for collaborative steps to be taken up with the Ministry of Works and Technical Maintenance for an improvement of the feeder road, starting from the junction on the Makeni-Magburaka highway right up to the farmlands of Malal-Marah.

President Kabbah remarked about the general cleanliness of all the villages and settlements on the way to and in Malal and the marked contrast with Freetown, where he said dirt and filth show up as if they were deliberately generated. Cleanliness, the President said, was something Sierra Leoneans were known for and wondered why Freetown had problems with sanitation and filth. He reached out to all Sierra Leoneans to work for the good name and image of the country and reminded all and sundry that Sierra Leone was all that we can cling to and call 'home'.

The President addressed the issue of taxation and explained that taxation forms the basis of government revenue and told his audience that wealthy and powerful countries such as the United States of America, Great Britain and others derive their wealth from taxation. He lamented, however, that in Sierra Leone people tend to shy away from paying taxes and instead look up to Government to provide everything, from employment to shelter, food and healthcare. Such a situation, he said, placed government under immense pressure and called for a rethinking and new positive attitude towards government and the country's well-being.

President Kabbah made a tour of the farm and returned to Freetown the same day.

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