By Saidu Dumbuya
Following a parliamentary summons, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Food Security, chaired by Hon. Sallieu Osman Sesay (SOS), conducted an oversight visit on Saturday, 3rd May 2025, to Torma Bum in Bonthe District. The visit, conducted in collaboration with the Minister of Agriculture, aimed to assess the progress of the ongoing Torma Bum irrigation and infrastructure project being executed by PAVI FORT.
During the joint inspection, the Committee acknowledged the challenges surrounding the project but commended PAVI FORT for its commitment and resilience in delivering on the contract despite operating in difficult terrain and beyond the original design specifications.
At a preliminary meeting held at Torma Bum before visiting the canal and funnel construction site, Hon. Sallieu Osman Sesay stated that the Committee was on a fact-finding mission to evaluate the project’s current status and make informed recommendations. He stressed the project’s importance, as it forms a key part of President Julius Maada Bio’s Feed Salone flagship program aimed at achieving national food security.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Musa Kpaka, who noted this was his fourth visit to the site, reiterated the significance of Torma Bum under the Regional Rice and Value Chain Project (RRVCP). He confirmed that the project, which includes irrigation systems and a rice mill, is scheduled for completion by December 2025. He emphasized that while Torma Bum is central, other agricultural zones like Gbondapie and Kambia are also crucial to realizing the goals of Feed Salone. He underscored the urgency of project completion to enable year-round planting and harvesting, particularly during the dry season.
Project Coordinator Abdulai Bun Wai praised the contractor’s performance despite facing financial disbursement delays, adverse weather, and challenging terrain that hinder construction efforts, particularly concrete works.
PAVI FORT’s Regional Director, Joel Lawson, informed the Committee that the company, which operates across Africa, secured the $10.9 million contract through an international competitive bidding process. He outlined several challenges affecting the project’s timeline, including swampy soil conditions, unforeseen design variations, delays in approval of those variations, and late site possession.
Lawson disclosed that PAVI FORT has already spent over $1 million on variations outside the original contract and is currently seeking an additional $2 million disbursement from project funders to continue operations. He cautioned that without this funding, the company may be forced to halt work on the project.
Local authorities including the Paramount Chief, Town and Village Chiefs, representatives from the media, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders were present during the site visits and consultations.
