If we are to have good roads, we must break good houses on the right of way
This is the harsh reality many people have failed to come into compromise with in our angst for development. The Hillside bye-pass road housing demolition exercise that is undertaken by the ministry of Works and Infrastructures under the stewardship of minister Alimamy Petito Koroma would definitely not go down well with house owners and land owners alike. Sierra Leoneans under past governments and now have been craving for good roads and some have even yearned for over-head bridges to be constructed in order to ease the congested traffic system that links one part of the city to another.
Now that this ‘New APC’ dispensation is doing its best to fix and improve on the narrow road condition left by our Colonial masters; citizens of this country must learn to give chance to the will of change. As the demolition exercise is now in progress, citizen Freetonians residing in areas 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 (SEM) has been reliably informed that the Hillside Bye-pass road under construction which at Mary Whether School situated at PWD Pademba Road Junction and ends at PWD via Ashobi Corner in the east-end of Freetown. And during this 18 months road construction exercise, SEM has observed with keen interest for human inconveniencies this road fixing would caused and the subsequent bringing down of valuable houses worth millions of Leones for some trying Sierra Leoneans.
On the same token, killing the goose that laid 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 of this nation might find it difficult to catch up with the evolving time of advanced countries in 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 seek 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 have their houses coated with marble tiles and ceramic tiles were raised down 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 looks and bitterness for 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 road at Wilkinson Road. There also, 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 broke good houses in order to consolidate our yearning development goals.
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