As of May 6, 2025 the Ministry of Finance continues to undermine the Government of President Julius Maada Bio amid mounting concerns within Sierra Leone’s security sector. The Ministry is facing growing criticism over prolonged delays in payments to rice suppliers contracted to provide essential food supplies to the military, police and correctional services.
Despite repeated assurances from senior Government officials, the Ministry of Finance has reportedly failed to process dozens of payment vouchers submitted by suppliers contracted to deliver rice to the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), Sierra Leone Police (SLP) and Sierra Leone Correctional Services (SLCS). Many of these vouchers date back months, with some stretching as far back as 2023 yet suppliers remain unpaid and food supplies remain undelivered in many security installations.
Credible sources within the Accountant General’s Department confirmed that all necessary payment documentation has been submitted, but funds remain frozen within the Ministry of Finance, raising questions about intent and accountability.
Security experts and political observers now argue that this pattern of deliberate delay is more than just bureaucratic negligence. “There is no justifiable reason for the Ministry of Finance to hold back critical payments that affect national security,” one senior analyst stated. “This is no longer financial mismanagement; it is sabotage of the President’s governance agenda.”
Contractors are reportedly owed tens of millions of Leones for rice deliveries already fulfilled. Yet, across barracks, police stations and correctional centers, rice shortages have persisted for up to four months. “This situation is alarming,” said one officer who spoke under anonymity. “We are expected to serve and protect, but how do we do that on an empty stomach?”
The implications are grave. Military sources say vouchers covering nine months of supply, from 2023 to early 2024 ,have been fully processed by the Ministry of Defence and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance. Still, no payments have been made. Similarly, police and correctional service suppliers are owed three to seven months in arrears.
It must be reiterated that military sources have confirmed that although the Ministry of Defence has processed and submitted payment vouchers covering a nine-month period between 2023 and 2024, the Ministry of Finance has yet to release the corresponding funds to rice suppliers. As a result, many military personnel have gone without their regular rice allocations since early 2025.
Police sources report a similarly troubling situation, noting that rice supplies have been delivered sporadically over the past five months. However, arrears for the past three months remain unpaid. “The rice we receive is neither consistent nor adequate,” lamented a senior Police Officer. “Despite repeated engagements with both the National Security Adviser and the Minister of Internal Affairs, the issue remains unresolved. Officers are running out of patience.”
“This is a betrayal of trust,” stated a senior Police Officer. “We have followed every official channel, from the National Security Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs. Yet we’re met with silence from the Ministry of Finance. Officers are reaching their breaking point.”
The Sierra Leone Correctional Services is also grappling with a worsening crisis. In 2023, the Government reportedly owed suppliers five months’ worth of rice allocations for inmates. That backlog has since grown to seven months in 2024. The shortage is now affecting not only the welfare of prisoners but also the morale and operational effectiveness of correctional officers.
Correctional facilities, already under strain from overcrowding and limited resources, are reportedly among the hardest hit. The backlog of payments, sources say, has crippled daily operations and worsened conditions for both inmates and staff.
Civil society groups have taken the matter public, accusing the Ministry of Finance of deliberately paralyzing essential state functions. “This is not a budgetary issue,” said one prominent human rights advocate. “Funds were allocated, documentation was completed and deliveries were made. The only thing missing is the political will to pay and that responsibility lies squarely at the feet of the Minister of Finance.”
Ministry officials, when pressed, offered little more than vague responses. “High-level consultations are ongoing,” a spokesperson said, declining to provide details or timelines for disbursement. That response has only added fuel to the fire, with many interpreting the delay as a deliberate ploy to discredit President Bio’s administration by creating internal instability.
Security experts have issued stark warnings. “The neglect of the security forces’ welfare is a direct threat to national stability,” a retired Brigadier General said. “If this crisis is not resolved urgently, it could weaken the operational effectiveness and discipline of our forces.”
Political insiders suggest that this sustained inaction may be part of a broader effort to erode public confidence in President Bio’s leadership ahead of key political milestones. “Sabotage from within is the most dangerous form,” a source close to the presidency revealed. “When Ministries fail to deliver on core services, especially those tied to national security, they create the perception that the Government is failing. But in this case, it is the Finance Ministry itself that is failing the Government.”
With pressure mounting from across the political spectrum, calls are intensifying for President Bio to hold the Minister of Finance accountable and take swift action to restore food supply lines to the nation’s protectors.
“A force that is hungry cannot defend democracy,” a senior officer warned. “And if this continues, the consequences could be catastrophic; not just for the Government, but for the entire nation.”
The nation waits anxiously, as the credibility of President Bio’s administration hangs in the balance threatened not by opposition forces, but seemingly by those entrusted with safeguarding the very machinery of the state.
