By Hassan I. Conteh

The main market street is open and empty here at Tombo Park in Waterloo.

The park hasn’t a sign of a motor taxi except the many motorcycles (Okadas).

That was during Saturday on weekend. The 21 of December, 2024 is not sweet for Salamatu, an onion seller.

Sale is too slow a bit for her on that day.

She hasn’t seen the expectant crowds required for a Christmas festive season.

It is not sweet for Alimamy too, a water plastic seller. At an ataya base (Green tea booth), Alimamy says: “ar dey Kam return na Ose. When sell dey e nor at for know ; u nor dey suffer.”

He meant he was going home because of lack of fast sales of his plastic business.

Most traders here like in the city (Freetown), when asked, would tell you people don’t buy goods often like they used to over the past years.

Those who came to buy market goods on that Saturday found it hard to catch vehicles home.

They stood for almost two hours waiting for “poda-podas” to come take them.

Between 9 and 10am, discomforting chants of women could be heard.

“Motor car nor dey tiday”. (There aren’t vehicles today.)

They don’t know just why.

What would be of the following days close to Boxing Day?

There’ll be more struggles by buyers and returnees (other people).

However, the empty street at the Park is partially due to police ban on street selling.

That followed when a truck rode over two traders leaving them spot-dead.

The past years, 2022, 2023, had seen deaths of traders too, in sizeable numbers.

The accidents happened one after another.

But on the condition of the emptiness on the markets in Waterloo and those in Freetown.

Traders, we have spoken to, say the inflation heaps high on them.

Import goods have become expensive like the local goods.

People say there’s only few money in supply.

Sierra Leoneans both traders and workers haven’t plenty money in possession.

The new government print notes are not plentiful to cushion the economy, thus putting down the inflation numbers.

As this sad reality obtains, it is affecting almost everyone in Sierra Leone.

Closing the year, while doing our market tour in Waterloo – Tombo market and at Dove Cot in Freetown, we observed only a few local and imported goods on most market stalls.

These are worrying signs that inflation is still with us despite moves to beat it down.