Reliable sources within the Accountant General’s Department have confirmed to Salone Compass that a large backlog of payment vouchers for contractors and suppliers remains untouched—gathering dust on office shelves—as the Ministry of Finance continues to withhold payment authorizations.
Among the unpaid are contractors responsible for supplying rice to the entire security sector, including the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), and the Sierra Leone Correctional Services (SLCS). According to sources, the outstanding arrears have now ballooned to way over 300 billion old Leones, equivalent to 300 million new Leones.
In a more troubling revelation, insiders close to the leadership of RSLAF, SLCS, and SLP told Salone Compass that rice suppliers are facing bankruptcy and have formally notified authorities that they cannot continue deliveries unless the government clears the debts owed to them. This means that, barring immediate intervention, there will be no rice supply for yet another month to the security forces— who have already endured the last three months without rice supply.
This development comes at a time when morale is already low, following persistent salary delays throughout 2024. The potential impact on the welfare of security personnel and their families is immense, and the broader implications for national security cannot be overstated.
With the 15th now passed, the Government faces a national embarrassment—not only in the eyes of its citizens, but more critically, in front of the very forces tasked with protecting the nation. As Sierra Leone steps into the 2nd quarter of 2025, its security personnel are staring down the harsh reality of going another month without their most basic welfare provision: food.
“This is a dangerous and critical situation that demands the immediate attention of President Julius Maada Bio, along with key government figures—particularly the Office of National Security, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Defence—before the crisis spirals out of control,” one source emphasized.
Efforts to get comments from the rice suppliers were unsuccessful, as they declined to speak, instead referring us to their respective institutional contacts—none of whom were available for comment at the time of publishing.
