“The structures are there, but they needed to be rehabilitated” PC Kaipumu.
By Jonathan B Omaru Junior in Bonthe
Five thousand farmers are to benefit from the Tormabum Rice Agricultural Project. This is according to the paramount chief of Bum chiefdom, Bonthe district; PC Alex Maada Kaipumu. PC Maada said a government delegation from Freetown had engaged the chiefdom heads on their intention of revamping the agriculture project in Tormabum which used to be the food basket of Sierra Leone.
Torma Bum he said had once served as the reservoir of rice production pushing Sierra Leone towards feeding itself plus exporting the commodity to other countries. “The structures are there, all the government needed to do is to rehabilitate these structures and actualize the dream of brilliant food productivity”, said PC Kaipumu. The chief told the public that such a massive proposed will not be enhanced in a year but a longer timeframe which will stretch to several years.
Paramount Chief Kaipumu pleaded with the government to reopen the agricultural office in Bum Chiefdom just as in 2012. “A farm house should be erected in a farm and not in a town”, the paramount chief added. West African Rice Company (WARC) and ABABJAR are the two main rice companies that are presently operating in the chiefdom.
ABABJAR according to most sources Mountain Waves spoke to, is not fulfilling it cooperate social responsibility and employs more of workers born outside the chiefdom. The West African rice company on the other hand, made some developments around their cooperate social responsibility. But it was disclosed that most workers have been made redundant and the payment of their benefits to the affected workers has become a controversial issue.
The least worker among the fifty affected according to a worker’s union, is to be paid an amount of seven million Leones while others are to receive 10, 12, and 15 million Leones respectively. The company according to reliable sources said they want to pay a small amount to the workers and the rest converted to rice payment. A peaceful demonstration was help in that direction which urged the chiefdom stakeholders to step promising to remedy the situation. The two companies are yet to react to these allegations.