Honourable Abdul Karim Kamara, a Member of Parliament representing the All People’s Congress (APC) in the Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic, has raised serious concerns over the performance of Pee Cee and Sons’ onion production project in Lungi, Port Loko District, describing it as one of the country’s major failed agricultural initiatives.
Speaking in the well of parliament, Hon. Kamara informed colleague law makers that the project was introduced with the stated objective of boosting local onion production, reducing the country’s dependence on imported onions and improving food security. However, he expressed disappointment over what he described as the failure of the initiative to deliver on its promises.
He emphasized that despite the reported investment and assurances surrounding the project, onions allegedly produced under the initiative could not be identified either in the open market or at any Pee Cee & Sons’ shops nationwide.
The APC legislator further alleged that the company had been misleading the public by creating the impression that locally produced onions from the project were widely available throughout Sierra Leone, a claim he strongly disputed.
Hon. Kamara’s concerns have raised important questions about the utilisation of the loan, the actual volume of onions produced, the project’s operational performance and whether the intended beneficiaries have received any meaningful benefits.
He therefore called on Parliament to institute a thorough investigation into the project to establish the facts, examine how the loan was utilized and determine whether the creativity has achieved its original objectives.
The proposed investigation, if pursued, could help establish whether public resources and financial commitments associated with the project have been properly accounted for and whether those responsible should be held accountable for any identified failures.
At a time when Sierra Leone continues to grapple with food insecurity, high food prices and heavy dependence on imported agricultural products, the concerns raised by Hon. Kamara deserves serious parliamentary attention.
The central question remains: If a major onion production project was established with the intention of benefiting the people of Sierra Leone, where are the onions, and what tangible benefits have the people received?
Ultimately, Sierra Leoneans deserved a clean display of transparency, accountability and clear answers regarding projects financed through loans obtained in the name of national development.
