The Pepperwulu Town Market in lower Johnsonville was a scene of jubilation among marketers and community residents when the Bishop of the Independent Catholic Church of Liberia (ICCL), Bishop Nimely Jarbokly Donyen was removing huge stockpile of garbage from the area.
The garbage which appeared mountain-like overwhelmed the perimeter of the market building spreading into adjacent private lands had been a serious health hazard for the people.
Speaking to reporters following the removal of the garbage recently, Bishop Donyen said that the Superintendent of the market appealed to him for assistance to remove the huge stockpile of garbage that had rot thus producing offensive odor.
He stated that when he visited the area, he noticed that the sanitary condition of the market was appalling as the entire surrounding was filthy which was not conducive to live or least to mention the sale of food stuffs and other commodities saying that the situation needed urgent intervention.
“So I forwarded the appeal to Compassion for Life, USA and explained about the poor sanitary condition, and without any hesitation, they promptly transferred fund for the project,” he disclosed.
According to him, he urged the marketers to put in place a system that will prevent the recurrence of such unsightly situation around the market and its environs in the future, adding that his partnership has been providing humanitarian services to the people of lower Johnsonville and other communities in District # 2 Montserrado County aimed at life-preservation including economic empowerment among other services.
“We provided several preventive materials to the people during the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in 2014 and we have also been providing similar services during this Coronavirus pandemic, so restoring hygienic environment to the market is just a continuation of our services which are geared toward saving lives,” he indicated.
The ICCL Clergyman strongly frowned on people he referred to as being in the echelon of government not appreciating the good work that Compassion For Life is doing for the people of this country, recalling the American NGO sponsored water project in 2017 for Red Hill, Rehab as well as surrounding communities.
“Can you imagine that the donors paid more than US$19,000 and from that amount the Liberia water & Sewer Corporation (LWSC) received US$12,000 to connect the communities with pipe borne water but that the people have diverted the water?
He further stated that it is unbelievable for officials of government to receive money from donors intended to provide critical services like water for its people and deliberately deceive them by denying them the service but clandestinely transferred the water to some individuals for commercial purposes.
Bishop Donyen then described the act being perpetrated by some officials of government as unpatriotic and insensitive to the plight of their own people maintaining that President George Manneh Weah is aware of the transaction because he has appealed to him on countless occasions through letters, media publications for his intervention but he has failed to do so, and as such, he said that anybody can deduce that he may have sanctioned the act.
“I have the belief that President Weah being an indigenous President would have demonstrated love for his people by supporting the idea of someone lobbying out there to bring project that would bring benefits for the citizens. If it had been former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf or even the late President William V.S. Tubman who is perceived by some people as a Dictator, this could not happen to me, most especially as I am the President’s kinsman,” he lamented.
The Clergyman then urged the President to remain adamant and resolute in steering the affairs of the state with commitment and determination because the lives of the people are characterized by hopelessness, pointing out that the attitude of some of the officials of government frustrates meaningful gestures from humanitarian groups.
Susan Ballah, Secretary of the Pepperwulu Town Market lauded Bishop Donyen and Compassion for Life for their continual support which she stated is impacting their lives on a daily basis. She disclosed that the partnership assisted in building the market and has provided loans for them. Besides that, she added that they have been supplying them with food as well as Coronavirus preventive materials.
“Anytime we ask for help, they are ready to respond timely, so we consider them as our parents,” she indicated.
She then asserted that the garbage did not emanate from the marketers alone but that residents of the community usually dumped their dirt under the cover of darkness, thereby creating the huge pile of garbage which had been accumulated for almost three years with all efforts exerted by the marketers for the government to help remove the garbage never materialized.