By Thaimu T Kamara

Sierra Leone continues to face a challenge that deserves greater public attention:  the poor maintenance and management of government-owned vehicles and other public assets.

Across government institutions, including the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC), vehicles can be seen parked for long periods in Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Makeni and other parts of the country.

Some appear to remain unused for months or even years, gradually deteriorating while valuable public resources are left exposed to the elements.

The issue raises an important question: Are we doing enough to protect the resources entrusted to us?

Government vehicles are public property. They are purchased, maintained and operated using resources that ultimately belong to the people of Sierra Leone. When a vehicle develops a minor mechanical problem, allowing it to remain parked indefinitely can turn a relatively inexpensive repair into a major financial burden.

A vehicle that could have been repaired for a modest amount may eventually require a complete engine overhaul, replacement of major components or, in some cases, become beyond economical repair. This represents not only a loss of property but also a waste of public funds.

Maintenance should therefore be viewed as a responsibility rather than an optional activity. Officials and institutions entrusted with government vehicles should take ownership of their care. Drivers, managers and heads of institutions all have a role to play in ensuring that vehicles are properly serviced, safely operated and reported for repairs when problems arise.

Citizens, too, have a responsibility. It is easy to place every problem at the feet of government, but government alone cannot solve every challenge at the same time. Public resources require collective responsibility.

When an individual is given a government vehicle to perform an official duty, that person should treat it with the same care they would give to their own valuable property.

There is also a need for stronger systems within public institutions. Government agencies should maintain proper records showing the condition of their vehicles, servicing schedules, repair histories and the reasons vehicles are taken out of service. Regular inspections could help identify small mechanical problems before they become expensive failures.

Where vehicles are no longer needed by one institution but remain usable, consideration could also be given to transferring them to another government agency rather than allowing them to deteriorate in a parking compound.

Sierra Leone is a country with limited resources and many competing development priorities. Every vehicle, machine and piece of equipment purchased with public money represents an investment by the people.

Protecting these assets should therefore be regarded as a national duty.

The government has a responsibility to provide the necessary systems and funding for maintenance, but institutions and individuals entrusted with public property must also demonstrate responsibility, discipline and patriotism.

The message is simple: public property is our property. If we fail to maintain it, we all pay the price.

Sierra Leone needs a culture in which maintenance is treated as a priority, not an afterthought. Taking care of what we already have may be one of the simplest ways to reduce waste and ensure that scarce public resources continue serving the people for whom they were purchased.

Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 24th August 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)