Monrovia, Liberia’s capital city, can be described as one of the dirtiest cities in West Africa, with stockpiles of dirt, busted and dysfunctional drainages, old and unpainted public and private buildings, as well as damaged sewage lines, which have made the place sanitarily hazardous for its inhabitants.
Named after the former American President, James Monroe, Monrovia was once a safe haven of Africa, with many world leaders, including Queen Elizabeth of England, Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Felix Houphouet-Boigny of Ivory Coast, among other world leaders, visiting the place and spending nights.
But the sea of garbage spread around the city and the unpleasant smell in most areas, especially in the areas like the intersections of Broad and Mechlin Streets, Carey and Gurley Streets, Benson and Gurley Streets, Benson and Lynch Streets, as well as the Palm Grove Cemetery on Center Street, up Ashmun Street and parts adjacent, are enough to show that Monrovia is a city of dirt.
Many Liberians, especially those living and/or working in the city, have attributed the demeaning look of Monrovia to its population, mostly those living in the main city center.
Some believe that when proper care is given to the city by central government, Monrovia could bring back its pre-war look, while others are blaming residents for the dirty look of the city.
“In those days, no one wanted to live in Monrovia. We only came here during festive seasons or on special occasions to visit family members, and left hastily because we had nothing here to do,” Mr. Joseph Kollie said, claiming that the city is dirty, due to the huge influx of people.
“During the war, many people, including myself, came here because this place was peaceful to some extent, and now we are here and don’t want to go back to our previous places of residence,” Mr. Kollie noted, saying, “I am from Bong Mines and moved here in 1992 just before the Octopus war. Now I have five children who have not even crossed Kakata. So, just imagine me, as an individual, before talking about others. I want the government to provide jobs in the leeward counties; with that, we will run after those jobs and leave the city.”
For his part, Augustus Saymah of Newport Street said Monrovia is dirty due to the lack of enforcing city ordinances intended to keep the place tidy. He accused the Monrovia City Corporation of doing little to help clean the city.
“You know that we had a City Mayor who said that he was not a “dump pile hero,” so, how do you expect the city to be clean when the requisite authority at the time refused to do its job. Other cities are populated but they have a proper waste management system in place. There is no magic in keeping our environment clean. As a people, we always need guidance on how we conduct ourselves. So, I think if we have an authority that will be willing to guide the process, everyone will fall in line,” he said.
For her part, Mamie Dennis wants government to declare the dirt in Monrovia and other cities in Liberia, like Kakata, as a national concern, and institute measures to remedy it before it spreads to other cities, describing Monrovia, Kakata and Ganta as fast-growing cities that need to be depopulated.
“Can you imagine that some people in these places, especially here in Monrovia, just throw their dirt anywhere, even in the presence of city police, without fear. Even for us who are selling on the road, if the government can find a proper spot for us to sell, all the dirt will remain in that place,” Mamie said.
While others are blaming the dirtiness of Monrovia to it being overpopulated, some think past governments contributed to the dirt and damaged drainages and the piles of dirt all over the place.
“There were not adequate funds to support the waste management of the city. Moreover, the MCC and EPA who should have ensured that the city and its environs are clean were arresting taxi drivers for license and running after concessions for pocket change,” said a local street vendor.
According to her, the city police in Monrovia are more like LNP traffic officers and have forgotten that their primary function is to keep the city clean, while the EPA who should be in the communities instituting environment safety measures are seen in stores threatening business people with closure or begging them for alms.
“I am a student of Biology at the University of Liberia, but I come to hustle here for money to cater to my school. Sometimes, when I tell people how environmental protection benefits all of us by telling my friends not to throw dirt anywhere, they just see me as another hustle girl; so, I just keep my mouth shut and stay on my lane,” she said.
The many cities in Africa who have had issues of overpopulation have found remedies to depopulate their cities, either by relocating from the city or by providing equal opportunities for rural dwellers. During the regime of Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, she established community colleges or universities in all of the counties to reduce the stress of student enrollment in Monrovia. In Maryland and Bong Counties, she established two Bachelor-granting universities and opened community colleges in the rest of the counties.
Nigeria had to relocate its capital from Ibadan to Lagos, and now Abuja, due to the overpopulation of the city.
Cote d’Ivoire had intended moving its capital from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro before the demise of President Felix Houphouet-Boigny.
