Ministry of Defence Clarifies Services Secondary School Land Dispute

All photos attached are obtained from the MOD social platform

The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) has issued a strong rebuttal to recent public statements regarding the Services Secondary School at Juba Barracks. These statements, stemming from parliamentary discussions, alleged that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant-General Amara Idara Bangura, intended to demolish the school and allocate its land to a private entity.

In an official statement, the Ministry clarified that General Bangura has no intention of demolishing the school premises or assigning any portion of its land to a private enterprise. The Ministry stated that these claims have been "deliberately twisted by certain individuals seeking to protect their personal interests."

The Ministry explained that General Bangura’s plan is to safeguard RSLAF estates from land encroachment and illegal occupation. Despite prior warnings, unauthorized structures have been erected around barracks areas, including Services and Juba Barracks, an old military garrison. Over 30 acres of Juba Barracks' original 50-acre land have been illegally occupied, some by former pupils of the school. Some instances of misuse allegedly occurred without the permission of the CDS, who serves as the school's Proprietor and Chairman of its Board of Governors.

The Ministry confirmed that the CDS recently ordered the demolition of these makeshift structures to enhance the school's aesthetic appeal, not to demolish the school itself. They emphasized that RSLAF owns the school and that the CDS would not demolish an institution for which he is responsible without a formal board decision.

Additionally, the Ministry addressed the claim regarding the assignment of land to a private company as planned distortions intended to tarnish the CDS's reputation. Instead, General Bangura's investment aims to create opportunities to generate revenue for soldier welfare, such as constructing mini-shops at military locations nationwide for rent to business persons, with revenues redirected towards addressing welfare challenges like dilapidated accommodation facilities.