By Hassan I. Conteh

Police have arrested about eight protesters in connection to Tuesday’s civilians’ sit-down strike.

The two day protests which had been rumoured weeks ago were treated with a pinch of salt by state authorities.

A ‘counter reaction’ to the fake news and growing rumours over the possibility of a striking days could not be effectively communicated  on state broadcaster, private radios and newspapers as most people eagerly sought to confirm with curiosity.

“I overhead that there would be no selling on Monday and Tuesday next week,” a woman in Waterloo had enquired to know.

The government of Sierra Leone only took the sit-down strike seriously when the streets became empty.

That was starting from Monday 12 June when the capital’s many shops were closed with only few opened for business.

Understanding the severity that the Monday’s strike would have caused on the state and the people, President Julius Maada Bio encouraged Sierra Leoneans to go on their normal business.

But an information vacuum had already existed as government authorities failed to respond early to the growing rumours of a two day strike.

The Monday and Tuesday’s sit-down strikes saw many pupils and university students home while public and schools exams were ongoing. Many couldn’t sit to their exams.

The means of transportation and deep fear had rendered many pupils from not showing up for exams.

The two day sit-down strike which was believed to have been orchestrated by voices of the opposition definitely has resulted to huge loss of revenue to the nation.

Public institutions remain opened but couldn’t get people around to attend to.  Currently, Sierra Leone’s economy struggles to peak up while inflation continues to keep prices on goods up.

There have been many protests undertaken by civilians promoted by the nation welfare advocates and opposition members. The advocates were calling for a cut down on high cost on fuel product.

To prevent a reoccurrence of a deadly August 10 demonstrations last year, the incumbent President Bio assured civilians ‘full protection’ of their lives.

But his nationalistic calls fall on the deaf ears of some of these arrested protesters on Tuesday 13.

John Bangura, Tejan Conteh, Ibrahim Samuel Foday, Gibrilla Sesay, Mohamed Kargbo, Junior Sahr Boima, Alusine Kamara, and Mohamed Junior Mansaray.

Photos of them were being shared on social media channels. A senior officer of Sierra Leone Police said their arrest hinges on ‘’an unlawful demonstration to disturb the public peace’’ of the country.

The Regional Media Officer in the east of the capital, Ahmed S. Turay, confirmed the detention of the protesting persons at the country Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

He said they were arrested with placards along Foamex Junction and Calaba Town in the east of Freetown. While the capital remained calm on Tuesady, fake news saturated the social media, with capturing photos of an ‘unease’ atmosphere in several parts of the country.

In the morning hours of June 13, few residents in Waterloo who ventured to move about saw a team of joint security patrol operations.

Military vans with soldiers causing no harm were driving past civilians gripping with fear while waiting for private vehicles on tarred road paths to onboard them to their various business places.

The Sierra Leone Police and Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) were able to forestall serious damage to the state by protesters as they kept patrolling the streets all day.

A return to sanity is expected the following day but a stop on similar strikes should be avoided to recoup state losses.