Good Governance, Peace and Security

102. Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, in recognition of the increasing safety of our country, the UN Security Council lifted all remaining trade sanctions in September 2010, citing the much improved security situation.

To sustain these gains, Government is allocating an amount of

Le 56.7 billion to the Ministry of Defence in support of military operations, including an amount of

Le 14.5 billion for rice supplies.

An amount of

Le 32.1 billion is provided for the Police;

Le 10.5 billion for Prisons Department;

Le 2.4 billion for the Office of National Security; and

Le 1.6 billion for the Immigration Department.

The National Fire Force is allocated an amount of Le 3.6 billion, of which Le 1.8 billion is for procurement of new fire engines.

Interpretation - Of the total allocated to the Ministry of Defence, more than a quarter (25.57 percent) is to be spent on rice. Yes rice for the military. And you can well bet who gets the contract for the supply of such rice and given the lessons of the past, the scene is set for military officers with the right political connections to become rice merchants once again in peace-time Sierra Leone.