By D. Sonpon Weah In New Kru Town |
Monrovia City Major Jefferson Korjee and Kru Borough Governor Alice Weah have broken down several structures including charcoal warehouses and concrete shops within Duala Market so as to setup garbage center there.
Major Korjee along with Governor Weah, among others, is said to have put the market security-guards at gun-point at late-night hours to breakdown the structures within Duala Market on Bushrod Island, Monrovia.
Duala Market Superintendent Madam Haja Sirleaf and several affected marketers said Major Korjee and Governor Weah have broke down their warehouses and shops where from they reportedly took away several hundreds of bags of charcoal and other goods on sales under the covered of darkness.
The marketers told the WASHMEDIA Network last Tuesday that City Major Korjee and Governor Weah led some well- armed men dressed in MCC Security uniform to put the Market Security at gunpoint to successfully burglarized and breakdown several houses within Duala market about a mile off the street.
They said the group visited Duala market on Sunday-evening hours to carry on their actions while governor Weah further went on Monday and Tuesday morning and gave directives for additional three concrete shops to be broken down again.
The marketers said District 16 Representative, Dixon Sebo visited the aggrieved marketers and promised to promptly intervene, but to no avail up to press time.
The marketers further said that they and Shops owners met with Governor Weah only to receive insults and resentment.
The demolition exercise came about a day after Miss Liberia-2017; Ms. Wokie Dolo removed garbages stockpiled in Dual Markets and its environs on Bushrod Island in Monrovia. Miss Wokie Dolo and her team of Volunteers last Saturday took away garbage stockpiled.
The Duala Market Superintendent, Madam Haja Sirleaf told WASH Media Network last Tuesday that Miss Liberia launched her cleanup campaign on Saturday and voluntarily cleared all the garbages stockpiled around the Duala market and the streets.
She said Miss Liberia removed the garbage on Saturday only to see Major Korjee and Governor Alice Weah coming on Sunday late-night to breakdown down charcoal warehouses and Stole huge piled of char coal-bags stockpiled in various warehouses in the market ground.
Supt. Sirleaf said major Korjee and governor Weah came back on Tuesday-night and broke down additional shops without prior knowledge of the Market authorities and owners of warehouses and shops.
“We don’t want garbage center in the market center, let them take the garbage pots far from the market and town center….” Said madam Sirleaf.
She said Governor Weah promised to breakdown shops and she did because she says President Weah ordered her to breakdown structures.
According to her, Major Korjee and Governor gave no prior information or time for relocation of the marketers, adding “How will the marketers pay back their bank loads without market goods and place to sell”.
Supt. Sirleaf said they want President George Weah and government to settle this crisis because it is too big and deep for Duala marketers who took bankloans to do business.
Madam Massa Massalley, leader for Charcoal field in Duala Market appealed to president Weah and government to intervene urgently so as to avoid deeper crisis between the government and the marketers as well as the banks and marketers in post war Liberia.
According to madam Massalley the situation may likely goes out of hands if nothing happens to solve quickly resolve the problems by MCC and Governor.
She said their markets provide daily feeding for family, school fees for children, government taxes payment and bank loans payments, among others, adding, the MCC and Governor are killing us for abruptly breaking down our market warehouses and shops without first telling us to move somewhere with our markets.
“We don’t want trouble, we want peace and long life, let government come to our aide before it gets too late us and the government”, said the charcoal field leader.
The Director of Technical services of the Liberian Marketing Association (LMA), Mr. Gbaylee P. Wah Sr. said LMA knows nothing about such unlawful and uncivilized demolition exercises in Duala Market carried out by MCC and Borough Governor.
He said so those who broke down the warehouse and shops of LMA and stole marketers’ properties will have to pay back all the losses and inconveniences suffered by the marketers and the LMA.
According to him, government does not break down warehouses and private properties under the covered of darkness, only criminals can do such things, therefore those who broke down the warehouses and shops in the name of government will be held responsible, they must pay for them either by law or by hook .
He told WASHMEDIA Network that LMA and Duala Marketers will not stage strike actions or demonstrations but will rather hold president George Weah
and his government accountable for all damages and inconveniences caused the marketers and the citizens.
When contacted on the demolitions ground, Governor Alice Weah declined to talk to the press while Major Korjee is said to be busy to meet the press up to press time.
Comments are closed.