By Sulaiman Jalloh

In an exclusive interview with Expo Times Newspaper, Lt. Col. Jaikey Mohammed Kabba, the commanding officer of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces’ agriculture unit, said if only Sierra Leoneans focus on engaging in farming activities there will be less trouble and more food in the country, citing the popular adage “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”.

According to Lt. Col. JM Kabba, the Armed Forces’s agriculture unit is responsible for implementing all agricultural projects and activities on behalf of the Ministry of Defense and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and undertaking security measures in areas where they operate, adding they deal with rice production, groundnut, and maze. He emphasized that RSLAF also has a livestock farm at the Musaya agricultural compound in Falaba District, northern Sierra Leone.

When asked about the participation of the Ministry of Defence and the RSLAF at the country’s first ever civic festival organized by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education, he said the civic festival was an opportunity to showcase their activities and contribution to the national FEED SALONE program. “The Ministry of Defense and RSLAF support the food security agenda of the President. We are implementing this part of the project to showcase that, if only we are well-capacitated, we can do more than this,” he emphasized, adding gender sensitivity is also paramount and they do observe it at all levels in the military.

“We have succeeded in showing the public that we are capable of supporting the President’s initiative to feed the county, and with this, our involvement in food production stands out clearly. It is evident that we have contributed to the Feed Salone project” he narrated while assuring that RSLAF is ready to support the initiative of feeding Sierra Leone if they have the required support.

He called on citizens to take up responsibility and engage themselves in farming. “If we engage ourselves in working very hard, we will find a little space to meet ourselves in trouble-making,” he stressed.

The commanding officer reiterated that, for the country to independently feed itself, citizens must work hard.