Monrovia-Vendors in central Monrovia for several days have been raided by the officers of the Monrovia City Police from areas designated for trading.
By J.H. Webster Clayeh (0886729972)-[email protected]
On July 25, 2024, the eve of Liberia’s 177th Independence Day, vendors situated on Ashmun Street, between Randall and Mecline Streets, were shocked to see the site designated to them to conduct their business barricaded by officers of the Monrovia City Police, the same entity that gave them the go-ahead to do trading.
On July 29, 2024, officers of the Monrovia City Police again raided vendors on Randall Street, situated between Broad and Ashmun Streets, another area that has been set aside for trading.
During the early stage of Unity Party government, the City Mayor John-Charuk Siafa had an elaborate meeting with the leadership of the Federation of Petty Traders and Informal Workers Union of Liberia (FEPTIWUL), along various blocks leaders and in that meeting the City Government designated certain streets that business should be conducted.
In that meeting, a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)was signed between the City Government and Federation of Petty Traders and Informal Workers Union of Liberia and vendors were also trained for two-day on how to manage their waste.
In that MoU, it was agreed that in the case raiding Street Vendors, FEPTIWUL was going to be awarded. Also, a task force comprising of Street Vendors from every block will be responsible to deal with the cleaning of the waste that the vendors will produce.
Since then, vendors in Central Monrovia have been abiding by such a mandate. The Randall and Ashmun Street blocks were not part of the areas that were prohibited by MCC. Rather, the Randall and Ashmun Street blocks were approved by the MCC for vendors to conduct trading.
Vendors who spoke with FrontPage Africa (FPA) said they have not been giving reasons why they were raided from selling at their designated areas as they have maintained the cleaning of various blocks.
Theodore Nana is a vendor on Randall Street between Broad and Ashmun Streets. He told FPA that there is no information from the Monrovia City Police regarding the raiding of vendors.
“City Police officers will tell us that it is their boss and when we asked the City Police Director Thomas Garwo he will say it is an order from the City Mayor,” Nana said.
He added: “From the inception of this government we have had several meetings with the City Mayor alongside Montserrado County District #7 Emmanuel Dahn.”
“The City Mayor said there will be no selling on Broad only and that on all of the other streets, vendors will be able to conduct their business. Since then, we were able to clean our block,” Nana said.
“The City Mayor at some time came and appreciated us for cleaning our block and so, it is frustrating to see the Monrovia City Police raiding us today,” he ended.
Siah Tamba is another vendor on Ashuman Street between Randall and Mecline Streets. She told FPA that as a breadwinner for her family the raiding has caused problems for her.
“Imagine on the eve of the holiday the Monrovia City Police raided us. The same way we left our house, it was the same way we came back home,” Madam Tamba said.
She added: “School will soon open, if this continues how we get money to send our children to school.”
The current raiding of street vendors and the seizure of vendors’ goods was done without the consent of the Federation of Petty Traders and Informal Workers Union of Liberia (FEPTIWUL), contrary to the MOU.
Delux Fahnbulleh, the Secretary General of FEPTIWUL, told FPA that a full representation of FEPTIWUL along with several block leaders on Tuesday July 30, 2024 went to the Monrovia City Hall but was unable to meet the City Mayor.
Kaipee Neewray is the communication officer of the Monrovia City Corporation.
Neewray could not be reached as his phone rang endlessly up till press time.