Peep Sierra Leone

The Sierra Leone Standards Bureau, which is an Implementing Agency of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, has reportedly condemned Ramsey Laboratories as not credible over the issue of the over 5,000 tones of rotten rice imported into Sierra Leone a little over two weeks ago by Premier Trading Company at 3, Wilberforce Street, Freetown, on board the vessel MV Mount Athos.

According to reports, 10,000 tones of rice were imported by the above mentioned company into Sierra Leone.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation, through its implementing Agency down at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay, i.e. Environmental Health Division, wasted no time in informing the deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, Mr. Mohamed Dadis Koroma, that a very massive quantity of the imported rice was emitting a very bad odour in addition to the rather brownish colour it had. It has been nicknamed ‘Kobukor’ local slang for filth and smells.

According to investigations, the deputy Health and Sanitation Minister who is reputed to place 'a very high premium' on the health and safety of the people of this country summarily instructed that the rice be subjected to laboratory tests to ascertain its fitness or otherwise for human consumption.

Five samples of the imported  and odour emitting rice were taken; with each of the five bags containing a sample of the rice for laboratory tests at Ramsey Laboratories, with a view to ascertaining the fitness of the rice for consumption.

Ramsey Laboratories reportedly certified one sample of the five samples as not being fit for human consumption and 'Oked' or certified the other four samples as fit for consumption.

It was on the basis of the Ramsey Laboratories Tests that the deputy Minister of Health reportedly advised that all the rice be off loaded and the fit rice be separated from the unfit rice.

Our Ports Authority sources claim that it was at that juncture that the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau officials raised hell and went on to condemn Ramsey Laboratories as not being a credible institution or establishment to pronounce the unfitness of any sample of rice for human consumption; which condemnation it was claimed, the new SLPA General Manager, Captain Benjamin Davies, supported very strongly.

Reports further said that both the officials of the Standards Bureau and Captain Benjamin Davies insisted that because Ramsey Laboratories was not credible, the five bags samples of the imported rice were to be taken to Ghana for laboratory tests in order to certify its fitness or otherwise for human consumption.