The dilemma of Sierra Leone’s Trade and Industry Minister

Thursday May 23^rd 2013 was not a pleasant day for the Minister of Trade and Industry, Alhaji Usman Boie Kamara (in photo). Reports say he was about to board a flight to Vienna, Austria, when he was informed that traders, especially those along the Goderich Street and Kissy Road axis had gone berserk following their eviction by the Freetown City Council.

Of course, it is now clear to everyone in this country that street trade has become a political game plan orchestrated by politicians of every shade and colour to consciously exploit the vulnerability of the traders to their own political advantage.  In the process, these politicians never take into account the attendant consequences of traders congesting the streets with their wares as long as this is done in exchange for their votes.

Indeed, as a nation, we have lived with this situation for decades, but the ugly scenario came to the fore following the 2007 elections which brought the current president, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to power.

Interestingly, when Alhaji Usu Boie was appointed Trade and Industry minister in this second phase of President Koroma’s tenure, there was mild jubilation within the trader community in Sierra Leone.  Usu Boie, as he is fondly called, was rightly or wrongly regarded as friend of the petty traders, a man who came into the political limelight during his bid to head the opposition SLPP ahead of the 2012 elections, but his appointment was like a blessing in disguise for the traders.

However, when earlier this year City Council introduced Operation WID in a desperate bid to rid the streets of Freetown of squatters passing off as petty traders, hell was let loose. The traders couldn’t believe their eyes. They quickly sought the intervention of Alhaji Usu Boie but the minister was quite aware that Operation WID was a project designed and being carried out by a local government for which he, as minister, was expected to provide some form of moral support and therefore cannot single-handedly reverse it to please the traders.

As a matter of fact, he sympathizes a lot with the traders; on one or two occasions he had clearly identified himself with their plight. But what can he do in these circumstances after a decision has been taken by council which by all indication has the blessing of His Excellency?  That is why when the traders traced him at his Youyi Building ministry on that day of 23^rd May all he could say to them was “please stay calm, be peaceful and be law abiding…we’ll sort out the problem.”

How do you sort out the problem, if we may ask as a medium?

Indeed, the problem associated with street trading is not rooted in the lack of market centres alone.  The prevailing socio-economic condition of majority of Sierra Leoneans with no access to job opportunities has forced many young people into petty trading, if that will make ends meet for them. But street trading is not a viable option for any suitable employment for the jobless. But in the absence of readily available employment opportunities; petty trading has today become the only way out of a bad situation.

Whilst grappling with this dilemma, Alhaji Usu Boie has suddenly realized that he owes it a duty to his people (the traders) to ‘sort out’ their problem, which is to ensure that they have suitable place to earn their daily bread.

He cannot continue to give them excuses. They rely on him and they believe in him. They say they will only listen to just the two of them – him and President Koroma.

So, in the face of mounting pressure from city council in their desperate bid to rid the city of lawless traders, Mr. Minister has one note to strike: appease the traders. It is a give and take relationship. “I helped you to be were you are today, you too help me now so I can live”.

Will the minister cope? A big dilemma!

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