Re-visit self help project to keep the city clean
Freetown could be one of the most beautiful cities in the world if the present situation it found itself was not ignored by negligence and bad habits of not taking ownership of our environment. First it was the deforestation of Mount Aureal and the haphazard construction of shacks by squatters call it unlawful land grabbing if you may by Sierra Leoneans taking the law into their hands.
Self help projects have been introduced by previous governments and youths of the nation. A sound legacy of self-help project can still be seen in Port Loko where a plantation of palm oil trees was introduced by the late vice president S. I. Koroma. Similar self-help projects of “keep the city clean” was enforced by the military briefly when they were in control during turbulent times and though military rule was unpopular but “keep the city clean” worked well for Freetown.
The present government of Dr. Ernest Koroma is doing massive development in and around Freetown but the filth in the city is alarming due to over population of Freetown. Many people who sought refuge in Freetown during the war did not have homes to return to in the provinces or chose to remain in Freetown indefinitely.
Recent outbreaks of cholera in Freetown at the shanty dwellings of Mabayla and the ruining of the King Jimmy bridge underscores the filth and effects of overcrowding. In other areas of high living are also polluted by poor disposal of garbage.
The government’s efforts have been undermined it seems by the very citizens living in those affected areas. This might be due to the fact that facilities for garbage disposal are either not enough or absent. It is therefore very necessary to provide the facilities by government or subcontract the function to a reputable enterprise. Again citizens must take ownership of their environment to avoid filthy habits of reckless disposing of garbage.
The government is doing a fabulous job at Wilkinson road, Spurr road, around the peninsular, and many sites within Freetown. It is also necessary for the citizens to obey laws of sanitation. Added to that the idea of self-help which had worked well before in keeping the city clean should be re-introduced at least once every month. I saw few months back the youths and the present chief of staff Dr. Richard Conteh doing such self help by cleaning the filth in parts of Freetown. I think that was an exemplary sight for our other ministers to copy.
Perhaps it is high time the government thinks about constructing flyovers and a corniche lining from Waterloo until Lumley beach. This will decongest the traffic hold up between east end and west end of Freetown. I am not an engineer but I think it is feasible to add to the beauty of mamma Salone.
Augustine Kamara
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