By Alfred B. Koroma

The problems associated with street trading in Freetown municipality are not new spanning over for decades now. The problem actually reared its ugly head during the days of Mayor Alfred Akibo-Betts when traders used to fight Metro Police for trading on prohibited streets. And since that time, successive municipal governments have failed to deal with matter decisively.

However, it’s our fervent hope that now we are under a brand-new Direction, something must be done to regulate street trading especially to decongest traffic particularly in the central business district (CBD) and to also allow pedestrians to go about their usual businesses undisturbed.

As stated inter earlier, street trading is not a new thing in Sierra Leone, but government after government has failed to remove traders from the prohibited streets of Freetown. In fact, the issue has become so complex because it has been made political with political parties using it to gain sympathy votes from traders. And this has paid off over the years though with heavy consequences.

For instance, former Mayor of the Capital Freetown, Alfred Akibo-Betts did all what he could to remove traders from the streets but failed as a result of political affiliation.

Like we have stated, these stubborn traders are reluctant to move because they know they have their god-fathers to protect them at every given time. Some of the problems have remained a ding-dong battle, while some authorities are pushing for the traders to go off the streets; others are acting behind the scenes to make sure the efforts of the former remain fruitless.

When the military junta the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) came to power on the heels of overthrowing the APC in 1992, hopes were undeniably high among city dwellers that, as a military regime, they will be able to remove the traders from the streets ones and for all, because people regarded them as the fittest government to deal with the menace but incompetency must have taken a huge toll to make them fail woefully. And interestingly, the current President Julius Maada Bio was part of the NPRC regime that failed to remove the traders from the streets.

Like other presidents before them, late President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and Ernest Bai Koroma of the APC despite every effort they made, both of them also failed because they used the situation to canvass the votes of these petty traders and market women.

Even though the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) is back in power with the onetime NPRC strong man, Julius Maada Bio at the helm of affairs, he has not made any difference and people are of the strong opinion that he also has fail because he may want votes from the traders come 2028.

One of mistakes that the SLPP government has made is that, instead of trying to finish the Sewa grounds market for traders which is considered by many as a stepping stone to solve street trading crisis, it has otherwise embark on erecting double railings to prevent the traders from selling. This development by all indications, it’s just making the situation more difficult, because traders now have to display their wares in front of the railings for buyers to see which is in fact very dangerous for them.

By the way, what sense does it make to erect railings at Sani Abacha Street? To many the development is considered as high risk to lives of traders and other innocent people. For instance, a vehicle lost control in such populated and busy area the number of causalities will be unimaginable. In fact such incident is common in that area where many precious lives have been lost with others left with life threatening injuries.

The Freetown City Council charged with the responsibility to control traders in the city, has reneged from that sacred duty, they are instead busy desperately harassing traders for market dues without making proper provisions for them.

On the other hand, there is nothing wrong in collecting revenues once it’s injected into development programmes including but not limited to construction and rehabilitation of basic facilities in the capital such as markets, schools, health centers and toilets.

What I do understand is that, government is all about continuity, the APC started the Sewa grounds market space to house traders within the Central Business District (CBD) it is now the responsibility of the sitting SLPP government to complete the project for the good of the country so that, the credit will go to both governments.

The fact of the matter is, the situation is difficult to handle because every government in power wants to gain political points to be re-elected. But this cannot in any way help the country to grow.

My candid opinion on this matter is that, street trading must be strictly regulated devoid of political interference if we want to see the streets cleared of traders and for the traders themselves to do their businesses in conducive and healthy environment.