By Africa 24 news
On a poda-poda vehicle heading to Freetown from Waterloo rural district, some passengers were expressing sad, ambivalent feelings about government’s ongoing restriction of people’s movements at night hours.
They said while their businesses or sales have been seriously affected, and with curfew in place, they also think that they would not be enjoying Christmas and New Year’s festive seasons this year.
“Let them lift the curfew so we will enjoy the Christmas,” said a woman at the back seat and was smiling while talking.
She was chocked with a light smile again when she heard a male passenger in front telling others that government is planning to shift the curfew time to start from 6pm to 12 midnight and to end at 6 in the morning.
“We wouldn’t want to see it even be shifted to 12:00 midnight; we want to enjoy the Christmas, so we wish government removed it [the curfew] entirely.”
Another female passenger said:
“We are really being affected with sales because now you rush home early at a time when selling is ripe.”
“If the government entirely removes the curfew and allows everyone to go about their normal business in the day and at night we shall get more sales at this period of the Christmas festival.
“This check, check don mona wi (The security screening at checkpoints has got us tired with it); make den stop d curfew (Let the curfew be lifted now,” the passengers talking in chorus, all wished.
The countrywide curfew was declared since on Monday 27, November by the government from 9p.m. to 6a.m. every day.
It was announced after a reported military coup on the Sunday 26, November at Wilberforce barracks in the capital and it left about thirteen soldiers killed a Canadian national who is a journalist, a civilian and a police while other army officers sustained serious injuries.