If we are to have good roads, we must demolish good houses on the Right of Way
This is the harsh reality many people have failed to come to grip with in our desire for development. The Hillside bye-pass road housing demolition exercise that is being undertaken by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructures under the stewardship of minister Alimamy Petito Koroma would definitely not go down well with land and  house and owners alike.
Sierra Leoneans under past governments and now have been craving for good roads and some have even yearned for overhead bridges to be constructed in order to ease the traffic congestion that links in the city.
Now that this ‘New APC’ dispensation is doing its best to fix and improve on the narrow roads left behind by our colonial masters; citizens of this country must learn to give chance to the wind of change. As the demolition exercise is now in progress, residents residing in certain areas of Freetown such as Sorie-tong, Sumaila-tong, Back of Pademba Prisons right through Berry Street and Ashobi Corner in the eastern part of Freetown must see it as a dream come true in their life time.
Sierra Express Media has been reliably informed that the Hillside Bye-pass Road under construction starts at the Merewether School situated at PWD Pademba Road Junction and ends at PWD via Ashobi Corner in the east-end of Freetown.
And during the 18 months road construction exercise, SEM has observed with keen interest the inconveniencies the road fixing would cause and the subsequent demolition of houses worth millions of Leones for some trying Sierra Leoneans.
On the same token, killing the goose that lay the golden egg for our own development is the only alternative we might use as a defence to impress generations yet unborn. If we fail to fix our road network now children and those yet unborn might find it difficult to catch up with advanced countries of the world. If we are mourning for our good houses affected by this road construction, let’s reflect back during the war days while we sought refuge in Guinea as refugees, what happened there? Good houses including villas and mansions were brought down by the late President Lansana Conteh, all in the name of road construction. Some even had their houses coated with marble and ceramic tiles that were raised to dust and nothing come out of it, except praises at the end of the day for the four lane road constructed for these same mourning Guineans.
Today, when we Sierra Leoneans pay visit or on a business trip to Guinea, returning compatriots are filled with nothing, but praises for the Guinean government and scornful about our government for not fixing our roads.
SEM pity and empathizes with these affected people who have suffered the brunt of enhancing our own development; but at the same time, victims of this demolition must forgive and forget just as how God forgives His creations on a daily basis.
The road construction would obviously touch on many toes, as very recently another contract has been signed with the Chinese for a four lane at Wilkinson Road. There again, those parameter fences and houses that have inevitably encroached on the Right of Way would be gravely affected. Thus, if we are to drive or walk on good roads without the fear of been stuck or knocked off the road, if you are a pedestrian; we must demolish good houses in order to consolidate our development goals.
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