Our public wealth cannot be used for only a select few to make them rich while neglecting the majority of our people.

By Madi Jobarteh

Since 2022, millions of dollars are given to a few businesses without safeguards and transparency for their selfish interests. What has the public derived from this decision?

At the end of the day, food prices keep rising beyond the reach of most people. How can we give public funds to businesses to import food only for the price of that food to be so high that it only enriches only the businesses?

Secondly, why should foreign businesses be funded by public funds? A responsible government should have focused only on national businesses who are genuinely in such business.

Thirdly, why is money for food is given to companies that are not in food business but use the money to import non-food items?

At this stage of our independence, the Government should have guaranteed food self sufficiency and food security by supporting agriculture in the country. It’s an indictment that in this age the country has to survive on imported rice, potatoes, onion and eggs, etc.

Why is the Government not supporting smallholder farmers in our communities across the country with millions of dollars but would rather shower our hard earned currency on big businesses who are only for themselves.

This Government should stop misusing public funds for which they are not transparent and accountable. The evidence of their gross mismanagement is in the 2020 audit report on government accounts.

Meantime, Government accounts for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 are not audited simply because public institutions are not cooperating with the National Audit Office as they should by law which accounts for the backlog.