By Stephen N. Tokpah
-Bong (freelance)
Reports coming out of central Liberia say protest early Wednesday morning, swallowed up Gbarnga City, Bong County, in an unprecedented manner as angry marketers shut down the office of Superintendent Hawa Loleyah Norris.
The tensions raised in Bong County as marketers found themselves caught in a dispute over whether to remain at the Old Gbarnga Central Market or relocate to the newly constructed Sirleaf Market.
The situation spiraled off on November 27, 2024, when a group of aggrieved marketers took to the streets and moved to the Gbarnga Administrative Building and allegedly shut down Bong County Superintendent Hawa Loleyah Norris’s office in their protest action.
The protesters, frustrated by what they perceived as unfair treatment, demanded that all vendors still operating at the old market be removed.
Their anger stems from an incident in which Gbarnga City Mayor Gallah Varpliah, ordered the demolition of their market stalls, while others were allowed to continue selling at the old site instead of moving to the new market.
In response to the protest, Bong County Police Commander Fasu V. Sheriff, Bong County Administrative Officer Sam Elliott, Gbarnga City Mayor Varpliah, and senior leaders of the aggrieved marketers intervened by hosting a quick meeting.
Following the meeting, the protesters were urged to leave the compound of the Gbarnga Administrative Building.
They assured the marketers that they would seek the timely interventions of the local authorities and the members of the Bong County Legislative Caucus, including Superintendent Hawa Loleyah Norris, who is not in the County, Senator Prince K. Moye, and Representative J. Marvin Cole, among others, to mediate the conflict.
Elliott, the County Administrative Officer, requested the protester’s leaders to give them three days to reach out to the relevant authorities in finding amicable alternatives aimed at addressing the situation.
The mediation conference is expected to be hosted on Saturday, November 30, 2024, in the County.
The aggrieved marketers agreed to the three-day ultimatum but warned that if their concerns were not resolved within that time, they would resume their protest until the county leadership provides a satisfactory resolution.
It can be recalled that this controversy comes after local authorities, including the Superintendent and the Office of the Mayor of Gbarnga, along with the Liberia Marketing Superintendent, announced in June that the newly constructed Gbarnga Central Market would become operational by the end of August.
Although the market was officially dedicated on June 19, 2024, its opening to the public was delayed due to technical issues, leading Vice President Jeremiah Koung, who oversees markets nationwide, to request an extension.
