By: Ilyasa Baa (Makeni)
Over a dozen properties including houses, schools as well as shops controlled by the Makeni City Council (MCC) were destroyed by storms two weeks ago and nothing is being done for the victims up till now leaving them with no option but to strenuously restructure their houses.
Explaining his ordeal, Pa Osman Barie told this medium that he built his house in Makeni City in 1958 and has been paying the city rate ever since. He said it was around 2 am that Tuesday when he heard a heavy storm. He rushed to the parlor and shouted for his children to be alert by then it was too late; the wind had become stronger and stronger uprooting the roof of his house. They were assisted by some neighbours who rushed to the scene and rescued the family.
” I am trying to rebuild the entire roofing of my house an old man like me”, Pa Barie said, adding that he needs the sum of NLe 10,000 (ten million Leones old currency) to purchase the cement and sticks needed to do the roofing.
On Field Road, alone, about seven houses were destroyed including the MCC-owned shops and a community radio station known as Hope FM. Traders have called on the MCC to expedite the reconstruction process so that their goods would be safe. A victim, on condition of anonymity, informed this medium that the Council has not done anything about the damages caused by the windstorm. She said much is expected of the MCC to whom dues are paid to take care of the city and provide the necessary support when a disaster occurs.
Hope F.M has been off air ever since the storm stroke with the owners of the building struggling to reconstruct the blown-away roofing.
The management of Allison Preparation and Primary School located off Field Road in Makeni is one of the worst hit and its Proprietor, Abu Bakarr Jalloh has been calling for support so the opening of the school was not disrupted. With the little support they had from a few parents, the school has been up to its knees again but could not rectify the ICT equipment damaged by the rain.
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has conducted thorough assessments of the damages caused by the storm and has assured victims of the government’s rescue package.
In the Freetown Municipality, over a dozen lives have perished as a result of the heavy downpour of rain leading to the falling of fences on people.
