By: Ilyasa Baa
Disputes over the market land in Ward 394, Constituency 111 in Deep Eye Water in the Western Rural district, remain on solved as we get into the rainy season with traders left with no option but to squeeze in the tiny market structure after portions of the land were allegedly sold to private businessman by allegedly accusing the Headman, Councilor and the seating SLPP Member of Parliament (MP).
A-Z gathered that after the completion of the only market by the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) MP Hon. Horace Vincent, the Headman Alhaji Ibrahim Sesay aided by his Secretary, Hisheka Sesay as if they were Surveyors started their ploy to plot the remaining portions giving some to the MP and the All People’s Congress Councilor Mohammed Amara Koroma.
An insider source informed us that the MP became unsatisfied protesting that he deserved more than others looking at the amount of money spent on the construction of the market; monies he said were given as loan to implement one of his campaign promises to his constituents.
The frontage of the market was chopped together with the sideways leaving a tiny spot for the growing population. A trader on condition of anonymity disclosed that they are left with no alternative but to continue squeezing up for their daily bread. She noted that greed and selfishness especially amongst the stakeholders are responsible for the poor state of affairs traders are going through.
Abu Bakarr Sesay, a community youth said the size of the market does not attract big investment being that the spaces that should have remained for vehicles to offload goods have been grabbed and sold. He said even the tipper drivers are left with no option but to park in front of the shops under construction. “Before now the sand vehicles did not have issues with parking space”, he went on, adding that government should intervene and ensure that the traders get back their land.
“The minds of the stakeholders were distracted by the desire for fast cash no wonder how they ended up treating the traders who for so long suffered without proper market structure”, another aggrieved resident stated.
However, the market land issue is slowly damping the spirit of voters in that part of the district as some have promised to get rid of them during elections time.
