Bumper
Rice
Harvest For President Kabbah
By Yusuf
Alghali
By way of inspiring his compatriots to join
in the collective realisation of his declared
vision
for national food security by 2007, President
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah today commenced harvesting
rice in his 265-acre farm in Brimaya Junction,
Koya Chiefdom, some 25 miles outside Freetown.
Sickle
in hand, President Kabbah recalled his retirement
from the United Nations system in the early
nineties as well as his decision to take up
both farming and legal practice along with
his late spouse, Mrs. Patricia Lucy Kabbah.
He
went on to explain that at the time, he had
no inkling that he would become a politician.
However, he said, "God changed all and
politics came around." He said he now had
a 265-acre farm wherein a divers range of crops
including oil palm, rice, ginger, fruits and
vegetables were cultivated.
P
resident
Kabbah, who recently concluded a visit to Malaysia
andBangladesh, indicated how impressed he was
with the fact that Bangladesh, a country of
140 million people, could feed themselves and
have enough surpluses for export. He said Sierra
Leone with her vast arable lands and rivers
as well as a population of only five million
people could do the same.
"So
I have decided to practise what I preach and
lead by good examples to show that Sierra Leone
can do it," the Head of State said, adding
that his understanding of the phrase "food
security" was for government to provide
the opportunity to enable people do what they
could towards the attainment of his declared
vision.
He
cautioned that his clarion call for a hunger-free
Sierra Leone by 2007 did not mean 
that
he would, all by himself, feed every Sierra
Leonean. "It is a call for everyone to
join hands and help make the dream a reality,"
President Kabbah stressed, noting with delight
that about half the members of his cabinet were
already engaged in farm crop production.
He made reference to his Minister of Transport
and Communication, Dr. Prince Harding, who had
also commenced harvesting a 300-acre rice field
in the south of the country.
"The message is spreading…food security
is possible," the President said, stressing
that now is the time for hard work and less
talk.
Erstwhile
Head of State Julius Maada Bio, several government
ministers, aides and locals joined the President
as he proceeded to cut the ripe ears of the
rice cereal into sheaves, which were later collected
by farm hands for processing. He intimated that
while a portion of the harvest would be consumed,
the rest would be retained for next year's planting
season.
Meanwhile
the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security,
Dr. Sama Monde, accompanied by the Secretary
to the President, Mr. Sheka Mansaray, are both
visiting Thailand, China and Bangladesh in an
effort to increase Sierra Leone's cooperation
in rice and other crop production and processing.
Indications are that President Kabbah will shortly
expand his farming activities
to include poultry and fish farming as well.
-End-
