Africa24 can reliably report that there are already disagreements over the proposed rents for the newly constructed Sewa Grounds market stores.

It’s mooted that NASSIT which is the main player for the project, has suggested a whopping nine hundred thousand leones (Le900,000) rent for stores at the market which is yet to be commissioned.

Several dates have been announced for the commissioning of the structures but none has materialized and whether the disagreement over the rent is part of the incessant delay remain unclear.

It’s gathered that in one of the several stakeholders meetings on the development of the project, Trader’s Union Council which is dealing with traders, is said to have vehemently opposed to the proposed price insisting that it’s not only unfair, unreasonable but unacceptable, given that majority of its members are mere petty traders who cannot afford such colossal amount of money.

“Look at the goods some of the traders are selling, then you will figure out if they can be able to pay such amount,” Trader’s Council president recently stated, noting that most of them are barely doing business to eke out their daily survival. He added: “And they are Sierra Leoneans for whom these structures were built, and so they should not be deprived.”

Even though the Trader’s Union Council has not cried out loud yet, it’s however suggested that certain people in high places are playing monkey games to edge traders who cannot afford that price to have their own people to occupy the markets.

Several meetings have been held of recent attracting main stakeholders including NASSIT, Freetown City Council, Trade Ministry and Trader’s Council about the smooth and transparent running of the market without undue interference from any questionable quarters. It was during one of such meetings that the Trade Union Council out rightly rejected the proposed rent, noting that if the price is not adjusted the resultant effect will be grave.

The construction work itself has taken ages, spanning from the days of former President Ernest Bai Koroma who first awarded the contract but never got off its feet for obvious reasons. And when President Maada Bio assumed power in 2018, the contract was reviewed that led to NASSIT’s eventual intervention.

The final date for the commissioning of the markets is yet to be finalized.