Things, they say, changes with time. Indeed! Bra Parrot can still recall the good old days when Freetown was indeed Freetown.

Everything was in perfect order. Everybody lived in serenity; everywhere around the city was covered with green vegetation providing perfect beauty and healthy environment for the old wise bird and his fellow city dwellers.

There were fewer people in the city with less crime rates. There were also fewer transports, factories making it life suitable for people without health implications.

There were quietness in every neighborhood and people care for each other. Security situation was relatively calm and quiet just like the prices of commodities were unimaginably cheap. Foods were everywhere with kindhearted people offering the needy.

But my God, things started to change for Bra Parrot and his fellow city dwellers when the civil war broke out in the early 90s with outpour of internally displaced people into the city.

Camps to host these displaced and other illegal structures were built everywhere. That was undeniably the genesis of the destruction of the once flourished city. With the increased presence of these traumatized people, crime rates also started to increase.

 The beauty of the city started to fade with people indiscriminately grabbing lands to build even in disaster prone areas without the least consideration to its ramifications. That trend has continued to these days which have made life very difficult and unbearable for even the patient bird whose once beautiful and quiet neighborhood was not spared.

The growing population in the city is matched with its growing problems, increased number of transports, factories with its accompanying health related implications. The once quiet city has been den for criminals and incessant noise all over the streets of the capital.

The bird has noticed that the number of traders has continue to grow with their proportionate lawlessness, they do not only sell how they want but in most cases use criminal tricks to make excess profits. Coupled with that, they are also responsible for the deafening noise in the city using mega phones to advertise their goods.

The bird has also noticed with dismay that, City Council Police who have been charged with the responsibility to control these lawless traders are now using the system to extort monies from the latter, thus rendering their functions useless.

For instance, when goods or mega phones are seized by the metro police for various offences, the sum of NLe10 is requested from their victims to return them.

There is no secret about it that the Freetown City Council will never be able to control these lawless traders with such negative attitude including focus on collecting market dues only for their personal pockets.

It is against this backdrop and the return of conducive and healthy environment in the city the bird is calling on Freetown City Council and other relevant stakeholders the patriotic citizen to put serious plans in place so that these lawless traders and other criminals are properly tamed.

The wise bird believes if his advice is taken in god faith, sanity will once again return to the city where people will live in peace.