Residents in Cline Town in the east end of Freetown are clamoring with maximum urgency for government’s intervention to save their lives from the dangerous condition that they have been living for quite some time. Lamenting further, they referenced the concentration of numerous factories, companies, stores and warehouses like Leocem, Flour Mill, Dangote, Commodity Trading Company (CTC) and many others that are causing serious health hazards to them by polluting the air and inviting life threatening creatures like rodents and weevils.
They added that the emission of smoke from the factories and cacophony of endless sounds is disturbing to their inhabitants coupled with pollution of air from the chemicals of those factories are all hazardous to their lives.
In fact, most of the workers of the factories are exposed to dangers as they work without any protective gear.
Mr. Abdul Rahman Jalloh, stock keeper of one of the stores for Commodity Trading Company (CTC) confirmed that two to three months ago, they were exposed to similar threats from weevils and rodents but they have put stringent measures in place like fumigation and weekly treatment of their rice stores with tablets which totally eradicate them, adding that for the rats, they have also deployed cats in their stores to clamp on them and this methods have helped them since that time. Similar excuses were deduced by other storekeepers, factory owners and companies.
But the most pathetic side of these measures is that they are not extending their protection to the entire community which is why the people are crying foul because if the companies, factories and store owners are only interested in their own staff despising and exposing them to these dangers, then that is the most inhuman treatment they are getting from them which is why they are craving for government’s urgent intervention to save them from the slow poison they are exposed to.
In an exclusive interview with one of the community elders Rev. Butcher lamented the hazardous situation they are facing as a result of the concentration of the numerous factories in their community with no corresponding benefits. “Our roads are bad, no medical facilities for Cline Town dwellers despite the numerous sicknesses they are exposed to on daily basis, no sober corporate social responsibility and other benefits,” he stated.” Similarly, a senior Sierra Leone Ports Authority worker who prefers anonymity with this press for fear of intimidation lamented the same.
What baffles many concerned citizens is government’s blind eye to these problems of the citizens amidst their constant agitation for action either to relocate them or relocate the numerous factories, companies and stores that are concentrated in one area together with dwellers.