Parliament Presses Seed Certification Agency Over Complaining Gaps of 2024

By Lemuella Tarawallie

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has questioned top officials of the Sierra Leone Seed Certification Agency (SLeSCA) over compliance gaps raised in the 2024 Auditor General’s Report.

PAC is demanding documentary evidence of public awareness activities, stronger enforcement of seed regulations, and improved compliance among private seed vendors.

Appearing before the committee at Parliament’s Administrative Building at Tower Hill in Freetown the Executive Director of SLeSCA, Dr Robert Chakanda, defended the agency’s performance, saying it had made progress despite being a relatively new institution operating under financial and operational constraints.

Deputy Chairman of the Committee, PC Hon. Desmond Mahayei Kargobai, who presided over the hearing, reminded the agency that Parliament required verifiable proof of all claims. “There are a few audit queries to respond to. That is why we summoned you,” he stated.

The Sierra Leone Audit Service Report of 2024 captured  that many seed producers and vendors were slow to comply with licensing, certification, and inspection requirements, while public awareness of the agency’s mandate and the benefits of certified seeds remained limited.

Responding, Dr Chakanda said SLeSCA initially focused on building a functional national seed system before expanding into nationwide awareness and enforcement. “In the first couple of years, our focus was to establish the seed value chain by bringing together all the players, from research institutions to seed multiplication companies,” he told the committee

He said the agency had now deployed seed technicians in all districts to support farmers and promote certified seed usage. “Presently, we have seed actors and technicians in every district. They conduct training, workshops, and sensitization to help farmers understand the importance of certified seeds,” he noted.

Dr Chakanda explained that, “SLeSCA oversees every stage of seed development to ensure quality standards are met before release”.

“We monitor the entire process from variety development until official release to guarantee certification standards are met,” he stated.

The agency also highlighted collaboration with the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI), noting that eight improved cassava varieties had been released and were being multiplied as foundation seed.

A technical expert told the committee that, “We have trained foundation seed producers and are preparing to train certified seed producers across major cassava-growing districts.” She further explained that rice seed certification followed international standards, beginning with breeder seed, followed by foundation seed and certified seed for farmers.

“We are not dealing with grains but seeds. Certified seed producers have been trained to ensure quality production for farmers,” another expert said.

However, MPs challenged the agency over its claims of public awareness campaigns.

Committee member Hon. Joseph Bash Kamara demanded evidence of reported trainings and radio programmes. “You said you conducted trainings and radio awareness.  Do you have evidence? We are here to be convinced. Statements alone are not enough,” he said.

The Executive Director of SLeSCA admitted that while reports existed, full documentation was not presented. “We can produce training reports, but we did not come with all supporting records,” an official conceded.

Committee member Hon. Aaron Aruna Koroma argued that many challenges stemmed from inadequate funding rather than institutional failure. “You cannot expect regional laboratories and nationwide awareness without adequate budget allocation,” he said, urging government investment in agricultural research.

He added, “Food security begins with quality seeds. Countries like Nigeria and Kenya succeed because they invest heavily in research.”

Responding for the Audit Service Sierra Leone, Principal Auditor Mohamed Mustapha stressed that audits focus on accountability, not budget size. “No matter how small the allocation, we want to see how it was used. If activities were not completed due to funding, evidence must show what was achieved,” he noted.

The committee also raised concerns about low compliance among private seed vendors.

Dr Chakanda revealed enforcement challenges, stating that, “Only about three out of twenty-five vendors have come for licensing this year.”

He said some vendors continue operating outside regulations despite warnings. “They bypass the rules. We are intensifying enforcement and working with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure non-compliant vendors are not recognised,” he said.

He added that although SLeSCA had established a modern seed testing laboratory, enforcement remained difficult without full compliance from stakeholders. “We are doing our best to ensure only certified seeds reach farmers,” he assured lawmakers.

The committee concluded that while progress had been made, future engagements must be supported with full documentary evidence showing implementation of programmes and compliance with audit recommendations.