By Ragan M. Conteh

“We have faced several setbacks under the Paopa government dispensation. Our market stalls have been vandalised several times.”

“We woke up in the morning and saw our stalls no more. This is a broad  daylight robbery against us as traders,” one Musa Suliaman Jalloh told Africa 24 Newspaper yesterday.

According to Jalloh the rate at which businesses are damaged is unwelcoming.”

“It could resort to something else one day.”

He revealed that they were coming to town to open their small businesses to fend their living when they saw their stalls booted off.

He said Free Street area is one among the peaceful streets that many Sierra Leoneans are selling their wares.

The traders totally condemned the forceful vandalisation of their markets stalls which they perceived as wicked and an act of “witchcraft.”

Alimatu S Kanu of Abacha Street said since President Julius Maada Bio took over governance traders have suffered serious setbacks.

She said their stalls have been vandalised severally with no reason given for such actions by authorities.

“The focus on traders at this trying time could add more economic burden on their livelihoods. We are paying huge sums to government as taxes and we are committed to always paying taxes and so authorities should be easy with them,” she said.

According to Kanu this is their time to sell and pay their children school fees.

She pointed out that traders are not enemies to the state but partners in development.

She therefore pleaded with the authorities to please respect them as traders.

“We need our market so that we can avoid selling in the streets. You cannot move us from the street and expect us to go,?” she asked.

The Freetown City Council has time without number pleaded with traders to avoid selling on the streets.

The council said they are clearing the streets to make the streets motorable.