Paynesville City – An official of the association of Street sellers in the commercial Red Light Market of Paynesville City has accused the Liberian Marketing Association (LMA) of impeding efforts to remove sellers from the main streets.
Report by: Alpha Daffae Senkpeni, [email protected]
Speaking to FrontPageAfrica Tuesday, the Paynesville Coordinator of the National Petit Traders Union of Liberia (NAPETUL) accused the LMA of selling market tickets to street sellers; something he said is distracting marketers from vacating the main streets.
Emmanuel F. Matthew assured that NAPETUL primary concern is to get hackers off the street, saying: “When we get them off the street and find somewhere for them to sell then when any (money) collection for ticket sale comes we will do it.”
In early June this year there were strides made by the Liberian National Police, Paynesville City Corporation (PCC) and NAPETUL in raiding the main Red-light streets of sellers.
The decision to clear the streets was intended to fast track road works in the area. Commercial drivers and pedestrians hailed the move and said the road was much more spacious, limiting accident risks.
With the July 26 Independence Day celebration weeks away, street hackers have retaken to the streets in the commercial district stubbornly ignoring previous efforts to keep them off.
And the head of the street sellers in one of Liberia’s biggest markets asserts that the sale of tickets by the LMA to peddlers is a contentious issue that is reversing the gains.
“We are not collecting money from our peddlers (but) LMA is coming to collect money from the street sellers and the LMA is even taking dirt from the market building and bringing it to where the PCC designated for us as our garbage site.”
Matthew says several discussions have been held with the LMA to mitigate the problem but he stressed that the marketing association has failed to implement its side of the bargain – making implementation of the recommendations improbable.
There appears to be a brewing tension now between the street peddlers and the LMA in Redlight which could further obstruct efforts to keep the market clean and at the same time limit the number of street sellers.
“We are saying that we will have a mutual understanding (with the LMA) to amicably resolve this problem to avoid conflict,” Matthew said.
Pedestrians Slam Failed Effort
Despite the allegation against the LMA, there are reports that the marketers have taken back to the streets following agreements with the LNP.
Some sources say street sellers pay daily bribes to Police in the area in other to allow them sell but when a FPA reporter visited the Re-light Market on Tuesday, the Police was seen engaging the authority of the street sellers, warning them to keep off the street.
Pedestrians who spoke to FPA complained that the city corporation and the Police have failed in their drive to remove sellers from the streets while others asserted that city government and the Police are both incapable of completely clearing the streets.
“My brother, this thing about moving market people from the road will not work because the people are not serious,” explains a pedestrian, Sarah Binda.
“If the people can move the whole market from here then at least the market people will not be on the road again.”
Added another bystander, Garpue Zeo: “The people say they were taking the marketers from the street but one month has not even passed, now see how all of them (marketers) have come back on the road again. The Police and the PCC are not able to move sellers from the road.”
City Corporation Not Taking Blame
The Paynesville municipal government has refused to take the blame for the failure in removing marketers from the streets. Jani Jallah, Head of Communications at the Paynesville City Council, told FPA in a telephone chat that the PCC is not leading the campaign but is only buttressing the efforts of the LNP in the process.
Redlight market is often troubled by huge stockpile of garbage, notorious for defying street sellers and heavy traffic, many say, also makes it easier for thieves to rob market goers. Recently, there have been efforts by both the street hackers and the PCC in cleaning the market but keeping the streets clear of sellers is a daunting task.
The NAPETUL Coordinator, who was seen calling on marketers to stay off the street on Tuesday, said they have setup a task force of over 200 persons to enforce the campaign and revealed that a space has also been designated for street sellers to avoid them coming on the road. He also denied that there’s existing feud between they and the Police.
“We have no problem with the Police; they support our taskforce and we are not in conflict with the Police,” he said. “It is the LMA that have come to infringe on us all the time but we will use the rightful channel to solve our grievances.”