TINA S. MEHNPAINE
Africa-Press – Liberia. When the government decided to evict street vendors and other marketeers from Redlights to the Omega market to complete the ongoing road construction from the Coca-Cola Factory to the ELWA Junction intersection, residents and pedestrians in Paynesville and its nearby communities were relieved.
Redlight is a busy commuter hub for people from the hinterland and settlements stretching to the University of Liberia’s Fendell campus, in addition to being a gathering place for thousands of buyers and sellers from both the rural areas and greater Monrovia.
The presence of the vendors has hampered the completion of the 6.1 kilometers of road. However, the objective of the eviction seems not to be achieved. Although the road from the Coca-Cola factory to central Redlight has been completed, the presence of marketeers has hampered some sectional pavement in Redlight..
The paved road is now being used as a dumping site for the sellers. Drainages and culverts are filled with trash.
“The relocation was never a good decision for us. We spent one year and there was no buying, so we have to come back to Redlight to survive,” said Teta Jackson, who sells milk, biscuits, and juice.
Teta was one of the numerous vendors who swiftly relocated to the Omega market, but she had to return because business was slow and it was challenging for her to repay her Access Bank loan. The eviction was considered a major achievement for the Weah administration, though the decision began under the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration. But the decision was not enforced.
“The distance from Red Light to Omega is far. Nobody wants to go [that far] to buy, so why must we go there to sell?” John Thompson asked.
For him, the Omega market should be used by residents in the area as a community market since they lived in the area, instead of making it a general market for everybody. On July 10, 2021, street sellers and marketeers witnessed the demolition of their structures. The Gobachop market that had existed for years was also demolished with a mandate to immediately move to the Omega market.
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Flashback: View of the demolished structures at Gobachop market
The officers of the Liberia National Police were assigned in the area to enforce the mandate, but it appears that the police have failed to enforce the order. But two years later, Red Light continues to be crowded with petty traders in various avenues, selling.
The Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) has failed to provide the total cost of the project, even after receiving a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Allegedly, there are reports that the sellers have threatened to vote against the Weah administration for the October 10, polls if they are removed.
The sellers’ insistence on being at Redlight has created a huge stockpile of garbage that posed a serious environmental challenge to the Paynesville City Corporation (PCC), which is now in charge of supervising garbage collection in the area.
Police spokesperson, Moses Carter, did not respond to questions sent to him via text even after committing to respond to them. At first, when the sellers moved to Omega, they encountered difficulties in securing spots to sell. The markets were built without enough toilets and warehouse facilities.
Also, the main market buildings could only accommodate registered sellers under the Liberia Marketing Association, so the street sellers were left to develop the remaining land space, which is a lowland area.
Due to inadequate space, marketeers had to developed the loa land in Omega
“We really suffered to find a spot in Omega, but no buying, so we have to come back to Redlight to sell or we won’t be able to pay our daily susu,” said Rita Kollie, who sells children’s clothes.
After visiting the Omega market ground and seeing the difficulties sellers are encountering, President George Weah immediately mandated the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) and the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) to construct four additional market buildings in the area to accommodate the sellers.
But the efforts seem to be neglected.
The five market buildings constructed under the Weah administration to accommodate them have been abandoned. They have all moved back to Redlight except for Gobachop marketers, who are unable because their stalls and structures were demolished.
“So sad. I can’t go back to Redlight to sell. They broke my table and gave my spot to people to build a shop,” said 32-year-old Musu Timmy.
Musu is not alone. The situation has now created a depressing situation for those whose market stalls and structures were demolished. They cannot go back to sell in Redlight. Some of them took loans from banks and they have to repay.
The Liberia Marketing Association (LMA), which is in charge of the area, has struggled to maintain the sellers in the area. “See, the President built this beautiful place for them but they left it and went back to Redlight to sell,” said Yatta Wea, head of the women’s group.
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