Several residents in Monrovia are raining praises on the Liberia National Police and the Monrovia City Corporation for their robust action to depopulate Monrovia, which they termed as the ‘face of Liberia’.
The LNP and MCC, in a joint operation, have begun flattening makeshift structures and relocating marketers who are seen selling on the streets and obstructing the free flow of traffic and pedestrians within the city center.
“The exercise is targeting major streets of the capital, including Randall, Benson, Waterside, and Ashmun Streets, among others, and it is expected to take place contemporaneously within the city limit of Monrovia,” a press release from the LNP-MCC joint operation team said, noting that street vendors have been decisively removed as part of the ongoing exercise.
Many citizens have welcomed the removal of street vendors and makeshift structures within the city center and praised the two entities for undertaking such an endeavor.
They believe that such exercise does not only benefit those who are affected by the demolition of their structures, but also those who commute in and out of the city daily.
“At least, now I can walk freely on Mechlin Street without asking anyone to dress their market or pushing people out of my way. I am happy for such exercise and hope it continues until everyone can know where to sell and where to walk,” Patrick Sonpon said.
“I also want them to use various media platforms to create awareness on the exercise so that it begins to resonate in the ears of the people. Normal days, there was this “Safety and You” program on the radio that was animated by police. That was a very informative program that talked about public safety. I think if we have such awareness on the radio, it will help a lot,” Sonpon noted.
For Mohammed Kromah, the exercise comes at such time when two of Liberia’s main cities, Monrovia and Paynesville, are being eaten up by dirt, and said, “This exercise could not have come at a better time than this, and I thank those who envisioned it. Look, my brother, these two cities really need thorough cleaning up and you cannot do it with people building all types of structures and selling in the streets. Once we break down these makeshift stuffs and even some concrete structures that are in main alleys and walkways, it will help to depopulate the city.”
“For me, I come here every day to look for my daily bread to support my family,” a mother of two kids, Maima Massaley, began.
“The way the people say we must not sell in the street is good because plenty time the same City Police people will just take our goods and carry it to their office. When you go there, they will ask you for money that can even buy the one in their hand five times. So, we are happy for this. But, where will we go now? That’s the question we are asking them,” Maima said.
“Last night was the first time that I walked hands free from Point 4 to Caldwell Junction without asking someone to move his/her market or stepping on somebody’s goods before passing. I salute the LNP and MCC for this exercise. But they also have to target the motorcyclists and kehkeh riders too, because they are one group of people that do not have regard for any traffic rule or pedestrians. That they are taking the marketers from the streets, they should also regulate the traffic,” Peterlyn Sampson warned.
“I am a forklift driver at the Freeport of Monrovia and every time I am going home, even up to midnight, the whole place is crowded with people selling and what amazes me is that you can’t see the buyers. So, I thank the police for the effort, but I want them to give the same attention to the traffic too,” Peterlyn advised.
In a press release, the MCC said the project is intended to decongest the traffic in Monrovia and give the city a facelift and uphold the value of the City Government.
According to the MCC, the demolition and cleaning operations are in consonance with objective 5 of the Joseph Boakai ARREST manifesto, which focuses on sanitation and instructs the City Government to enforce the removal of makeshift structures and market stalls that hinder the movement of vehicles and pedestrians along major streets, and that property owners comply with all requirements of cleaning and painting of their properties along major streets.
The framework also empowers the City Government to remove all lamentable signboards, billboards, and damaged and broken-down vehicles from the sidewalks.
“The LNP-MCC cleanup initiative will be vigorous in the coming days in its approach to have a clean, green, and safe environment,” the release said.
Meanwhile, the citizens are encouraging the LNP-MCC joint cleanup team to include major partners who helped during the voluntary cleanup campaign for the inauguration to support their initiative as they did during the campaign.
“I think they have to call on those folks who helped them during the national cleanup campaign for the inauguration to clear the dirt and garbage making their way back on the main street. These officers are just breaking and piling up the dirt, but we need a waste management team to clear the dirt,” Esther Jones said.
But when this paper contacted the offices of the Monrovia City Mayor-designate, John Charuk Siafa, a gentleman who identified himself as Special Assistant to the Mayor, Olando Chenowith, said the mayor-designate has not instructed the MCC nor anyone to carry out any operation, observing, “Mr. Siafa has not been confirmed as Mayor of Monrovia, so technically, he has not begun work yet. Maybe the instruction is from someone in the helm of power at the MCC who instructed them, but not Mr. Siafa.”
