MONROVIA – Instead of expending profits generated from the sale of their goods and services, marketers and service providers in the congested commercial area of Duala have been constrained to engage into extra spending on medication and treatment due to illnesses they are experiencing as a result of the stockpile of garbage that have overwhelmed their selling places.
By Obediah Johnson
The Duala market is located on the Bushrod Island in district # 16 in Montserrado County.
For nearly three months now, the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), headed by outgoing City Mayor Jefferson Koijee, has been under severe criticisms due to its failure to collect garbage from the city in a timely manner.
Flies, rats and other crawling insects are seen in the garbage or on goods, especially frozen foods being sold by the marketers. At some commercial points, unknown persons have set fire onto the garbage to reduce its height due to the delay by the MCC to have it collected.
Marketers have also been busying themselves fanning away flies from sitting on their goods, while at the same time serving customers who stopped at their tables to buy.
Red eyes, running nose, headache and malaria are the common illnesses that many of them have encountered due to the hoarded of garbage at their selling places.
The Marketers blamed the prolong stay of the garbage at various points, particularly around Caldwell Junction and before the Duala market to the glaring show of lack of interest by the outgoing Coalition of Democratic Change (CDC) led-government of President George Manneh Weah to prioritize their health and wellbeing due to their defeat in the just ended presidential and legislative elections in Liberia.
The marketers complained that they can no longer sell or eat peacefully due to the increase of flies around their respective selling places.
They maintained that their children and grandchildren cannot visit them at their selling places after school hours.
They further complained of decline in the sale of their goods and services as a result of the situation.
Marketers are claiming to have paid extra fees to their local authorities to facilitate the speedy collection of the garbage, but up to present, nothing has been done to remove the filths.
“We are forced to be eating and covering our food at the same time before flies get inside. I am feeling bad because they have collected money from us and said the people car spoiled and so, they can’t take the dirt from here,” Hawa Kpehe, 60, stated.
She expressed disappointment over the alleged failure of authorities of the local market to utilize fees collected from them for the sale of tickets on a daily basis.
Marketers are made to purchase ‘selling tickets’ which cost between L$50 to L$100 before or prior to the end of every market day.
The spots of those who failed to pay are normally given out to others who are willing to pay.
Madam Kpehe further observed that the burning of the garbage by unknown persons would be another reason for the lengthen stay of the garbage in the area.
“We came in the morning to sell and saw the fire in the garbage. Fire can’t be in the dirt and the people carry it too. We will continue to get sick when the dirt is here. The dirt not supposed to be here for long.”
She continued: “Some of us do not have anywhere to sell that’s the reason we are forced to be here. So, the government should help us to throw the dirt (garbage). That’s the only solution.”
Also speaking, Alvin Sherbro, 32, observed that worms and other dangerous insects continue to creep from the garbage.
He claimed that the outgoing government appears to be reluctant in collecting the waste.
“I feel bad about selling in the garbage every day. Since three months now this garbage been here and nobody thinking about taking it from here and we continue to pay money for it every blessing day. The dirt really smells. I am sure that this government is waiting for the next government to come and take the dirt from here.”
He recalled that prior to the conduct of the just ended presidential and general elections in Liberia, the government, through MCC, regularly collected the garbage from the area.
He added that as a result of the defeat of the CDC, the outgoing government “does not have time to collect the dirt.”
“Every Sunday they used to collect the dirt from here. But since the man (Joseph Nyuma Boakai) won, nobody can come collect the dirt. I feel that because they loss the elections, they don’t care about our health and safety again.”
Sherbro added that marketers are experiencing additional financial constraints due to the protract stay of the garbage at their respective selling places.
He, however, observed that many of the goods on sale at the garbage are not safe for consumption.
“Whole day the garbage is smoking and nowhere for us to sell. Right now, my eyes are hurting and I can’t see well. This is a serious problem we are facing here. Before, the dirt used to spend only one week here. But since the elections, the dirt has been here and we are selling in this garbage,” Massa Kamara, 50, stated.
She emphasized that though her health condition remains challenging, she is compelled to sell in the garbage to generate money to pay the school fees of her children.
“Every day we are paying money but we don’t know where the money is going. Look at the market I’m selling. By right, the flies not supposed to be sitting on it. Sometimes I can cover my market or be driving away the flies whole day.”
Madam Kamara, however, predicted that many marketers would contract illnesses or die prematurely if steps are not taken by the MCC to remove the garbage from the market in a timely manner.
“We want the government to take the dirt away from here. Some of us are planning to block the road. But as for me, I want us to continue talking to the government to come and take the dirt from here.”
For her part, Rachael Timothy observed that single parents have no option but to sell adjacent the garbage to raise money to sustain them and their family members.
She said though selling adjacent the garbage is dangerous to their health, marketers are going about their normally businesses caring less about the consistent old story being told by their leaders that the garbage cannot be removed from their selling places due to challenges facing the MCC.
The commercial area of Duala has turned into a “hold your nose and pass” terrain, making it difficult for marketers, consumers, pedestrians and passers-by to breathe fresh air.
The outbreak of diseases including chloride, typhoid, malaria, dysentery, amongst others is eminent if steps are not taken promptly
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