By Mohamed Kamara
Investigations conducted by this medium at the Seed Multiplication Sector of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security have revealed concerning discrepancies. The Seed Multiplication Offices in provincial headquarters have been shut down, with finances and assets unaccounted for, including vehicles and logistics supported by international financial partners.
Sources indicate a lack of organizational structure within the sector, with no defined rules and regulations for employees to adhere to. The workforce, which previously comprised 78 staff members, has been reduced to 62 due to the closure of offices in Kono, Makeni, Bonthe, Kenema, and Moyamba in previous years.
In 2022, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) entrusted the sum of three thousand United States Dollars (USD 3000) for the purchase of vehicles, tractors, and construction, none of which materialized. Additionally, between 2010 and 2018, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) donated twenty-five thousand United States Dollars (USD 25,000). Following an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the sitting National Coordinator of the Seed Multiplication Sector, Mr. Edward Smart Gbappia, was found guilty and ordered to repay the funds. Furthermore, an additional four billion Leones in old notes remains unaccounted for. Despite the ACC’s order for Mr. Gbappia to vacate his office, he remains in his position.
Sources from the Human Resources Management Office (HRMO) indicate that a letter was served to Mr. Gbappia in October 2024, instructing him to leave. Meanwhile, the African Development Bank (ADB) approved three vehicles for use at the Seed Multiplication Sector. In 2023, three Hilux vehicles arrived in Freetown, only to be parked at the PAE Garage at Maroon Town. Under Mr. Gbappia’s direction, the vehicles were subsequently moved to an undisclosed location and never utilized by staff.
Furthermore, three motorcycles designated for permanent workers were reappropriated by Mr. Gbappia and given to unauthorized volunteers in the provinces. These volunteers, stationed in Bo and Tamia, were employed without following proper procedures. In 2023, 1,200 bags of fertilizer entrusted to the Seed Multiplication Sector were sold on the black market. Additionally, a training program sponsored by the African Development Bank was conducted only twice. Substantial financial allocations to the sector were similarly misappropriated.
Efforts to corroborate this information with Mr. Edward Smart Gbappia were met with hostility, as he aggressively ejected reporters from his office on Tuesday, 19, 2023, while boasting of his connections should any adverse reports be published regarding his office’s operations.
