No amount of negative and fictitious publicity will discouraged Socfin Agricultural Company from leaving the shores of Sierra Leone.
The frustration of some of these Human Rights Organizations in piling pressure on the government on genuine investors in the country will continue to scarce financiers to come and invests in the country.
The agricultural company has given a facelift to Sahn-Malen Chiefdom as the entire chiefdom was a ghost town but with the intervention of the Agricultural company the chiefdom is a works yard.
Since the inception of the company to date Green Scenery have being publishing all sorts of stories on the agricultural company in which various government institutions have exonerated them.
The government of President Julius Maada Bio within this shortest possible time in office has instructed series of independent findings investigation into the Malen issues, all of these findings have vindicated the agricultural company of wrong doings.
Several investors are out there observing the Socfin issues in Pujehun District; it is the duty of the government to protect investors that are coming to invests in the country.
Allowing Civil Society Organizations to make all sorts statement against genuine investors that have done so much for Sierra Leone will not help the government in any shape of form.
Hundreds of workers working at the Agricultural Company who spoke to this medium via telephone repeatedly reiterated that there is no form of Human Rights Violations as alleged by some Civil Society Organizations.
The workers extolled the company for cooperating fully with their corporate social responsibility across the chiefdom as they continued to help in areas of agriculture, education, health care amongst others.
The government of President Julius Maada Bio should know that some of these Civil Society campaigners are deliberately sabotaging the New Direction government to potential investors wanted to invest in the country.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation was over the radio recently calling on investors to come and invest in the country, what Mr. Allie Kabba should do is to engaged CSOs on how they can compliments the efforts of the government to lure credible investors in the country.
All of the necessary steps the Human Rights Organizations are calling on the government to take action are purely not happening within the operational areas of the company.
Sierra Leone is hub for investors, but the attitude of some of these Human Rights campaigners towards genuine investors is appalling to say the least.
If not for the resilient and fortitude and love they have for Sierra Leone the Agricultural Company should have long leave the country and finds somewhere more favorable and encouraging to invests.
It is fact that the land tenure system in the country is not without some headaches, but as law-abiding citizens, we should have absolute respect for whatever decision the Central Government and the local authorities have taken on behalf of the country and the people.
Our rural people need arable lands to farm but we should also equally understand that national interest always supersedes self-interest. And it was against the backdrop of national interest that an official agreement was reached for Socfin to establish in Sahn Malen Chiefdom just as other agricultural companies have established in other parts of the country like ADDAX in the northern region. Therefore, challenging the operation of Socfin in Sahn Malen Chiefdom is tantamount to undermining the authority of the Central Government and the entire leadership of Pujehun District. The lawless and spineless dissenters should not be allowed to go scot-free with their callousness and heartlessness which are anathema to national development.
The Spectator Newspaper – 12/03/2019
http://www.thespectatornewspaper.sl/articles/socfin-here-stay