Over Bio’s “Feed Salone” Misdirection… Chairman Suphian Kalokoh Profers Golden Solution
By Pro-Demo
Dr. Suphian Kalokoh, pro-democracy activist and Chairman of the All People’s Congress (APC) – USA, has described President Julius Maada Bio’s recent statements in Parliament about the government’s Feed Salone initiative as a “fictitious misrepresentation of the facts.”
Speaking during his second appearance on the popular Wi Yard night show, Dr. Kalokoh criticized the significant reduction in the supplementary budget for Feed Salone—from Le747 million to Le91 million—while simultaneously noting the increase in allocations to the Office of the President from Le97 million to Le255 million. According to him, these adjustments demonstrate a lack of seriousness in addressing food security in Sierra Leone.
“Hearing Bio say rice production grew by 8%, that the WFP now buys 30% of its rice from local farmers, and that egg imports have decreased by 21%—these are blatant fabrications,” said the investment banker and legal luminary. “Sierra Leoneans must start thinking a hundred times bigger than the lies this regime feeds them just to score political points.”
Dr. Kalokoh emphasized that, if elected President under the APC banner, his administration would prioritize national development with a focus on food security, education, energy, roads, and healthcare—sectors he believes are neglected under the current regime. He cited Kambia District as a prime example, claiming it has the potential to produce enough rice to feed the entire country if properly supported with political will and investment—both of which he says are currently absent.
He further lamented the current government’s misplaced priorities. “The Finance Minister leans heavily on supplementary budgets instead of focusing on the main annual budget meant to alleviate the suffering of the people,” he argued. “There is capital floating in banks globally, waiting to be accessed by serious governments. Instead of tapping into that for the benefit of the nation, this administration is only investing in its members and loyalists.”
Kalokoh also proposed a fundamental shift from subsistence farming to agribusiness, suggesting that such a transformation would not only attract massive agricultural investments but also empower local farmers to compete regionally. “The problem is, we are competing in a regional market, but investors are shifting their attention to neighboring countries due to negative perceptions about Sierra Leone’s business climate,” he warned.
He outlined his plan for a robust national agenda, hinging on a strong five-person team: the Chief of Staff, Finance Minister, Bank Governor, Financial Secretary, and Commissioner General of the National Revenue Authority. He believes with such a team, critical national issues could be effectively addressed to significantly improve the lives of Sierra Leoneans.
On electoral integrity, Dr. Kalokoh was unequivocal. “There is no way the votes of citizens will not be counted this time, as they were in the 2023 elections,” he asserted. “We will not allow our democratic credentials to be further tainted by the ruling SLPP.”
He accused the SLPP of maintaining a predictable and dangerous political playbook, highlighting efforts to promote the Proportional Representation (PR) system and delay boundary delimitation exercises through Statistics Sierra Leone—tactics he claims were employed to manipulate the 2023 electoral process.
During his initial interview on Wi Yard, Dr. Kalokoh had already expressed deep concern over what he referred to as a “cabal of electoral manipulators” allegedly operating within the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), further questioning the credibility of the country’s democratic institutions.
