LIBERIA: Garbage fight as PCC Blames LMA for Filthiness at Red Light Market…
But LMA Rejects Claims, shifts blame on residents – By: WASH R&E “Media” Network – It appears that the prolong stay of garbage in Paynesville is brewing serious tension between the Paynville City Corporation and the Liberia Marketing Association, Red Light Branch.
The PCC is pointing accusing fingers at LMA for not taking responsibility to ensure the huge stock of the garbage in the commercial district of Red Light is removed on time, despite funding provided by marketers.
The PCC alleged that the LMA has neglected its responsibility to clean and manage waste from marketplaces under its jurisdiction.
Paynesville City Mayor E. Pam Belcher-Taylor speaking during a meeting with LMA Red-Light Branch Officials
In a meeting with marketers, Paynesville City Mayor, E. Pam Belcher-Taylor blamed the LMA for the perpetual filth of the major markets in the city.
She alleged that the LMA is doing nothing and also indicated that officials are getting rich at the detriment of poor marketers whose welfare is being neglected.
The City Mayor Taylor threatened to stop the LMA from collecting fees from marketers if the Association is not willing to play its part in helping to keep the city clean.
“My administration will inform the marketers not to pay fees to the LMA, but will encourage them to pay the fees to the PCC, who will use the funds to clean the market,” she said.
Many are of the believe that it is the statutory responsibility of the PCC to collect garbage from dumpsites within the city limits, but Mayor Belcher-Taylor argues that such service is accompanied with fees, which the LMA is currently collecting from marketers.
Partial View of garbage at Red Light Market
According to the mayor, it takes the PCC most times, if not all the time, to collect the garbage. “This is unfair,” she said.
During the meeting with LMA officials at the Paynesville Town Hall, Mayor Belcher-Taylor noted that LMA should be responsible to keep all markets in the city clean because the Association does not only collect ground fees from marketers, but “dirt fees” as well.
She frowned at the appalling condition under which marketers are transacting business in the Red Light area with their children sitting with them amongst filth.
She noted that the LMA has refused to reach an agreement with the PCC to turn over some of the funds collected monthly to clean the garbage.
The Mayor fears the outbreak of disease as a result of the huge piles of uncollected garbage in the market places. “We are in the rainy season and there is a likelihood there can be a disease outbreak. Why are we putting the lives of our people at risk?” she asked rhetorically.
In response, LMA officials said the disposal of garbage from the commercial district of Red Light is an age old problem that is yet to be resolved.
The Association said it is doing its best but the proper handling of waste, especially in Red Light, can only be done through a collective effort involving the PCC, LMA and residents in the vicinity of the various markets.
An official of the Gobacho Market, James Collins
A top official of Gobachop Market, James Collins said the LMA has been making frantic efforts in cleaning the market, but much of the dirt are not from the market but rather from the surrounding communities.
“The huge garbage around the various market places is not produced from the marketers alone but residents of nearby communities” he said.
The issue of a landfill is another obstacle that hinders the waste management for PCC, since the Waste Dump Site in Whein Town, located in Paynesville, is under the jurisdiction of MCC. This means the PCC uses the landfill based on permission.
“We are considering the issue of a landfill for the Corporation because we have none. This is somehow contributing to the problems we are facing,” Chairman of the Paynesville City Council, J. Max Hinneh, said.
“Residents and marketers have consistently complained of huge stockpiles of garbage in their respective communities, a situation that is detrimental to their health. And this worries some of us a lot. This is why we called the leadership of the marketers here so we can sit and talk. We need to handle this situation because our people are being affected,” Hinneh said.
A World Bank project that used to help in managing waste in the city ended more than five years ago. A contract to dispose of garbage from the various markets in the municipality was reached between LMA, Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) and the Zoom Lion.
The project, however ended in 2013, leaving the collection of garbage in Paynesville to the municipal authority, which did not benefit any of the players from the initiative, a burden to bear.
It is no secret that the constant delay in disposing of waste in Paynesville City, with basic concentration in the Red Light community, is one of the main factors that caused the uncollected garbage in the city.
The delay, which has become a perennial problem, often results to the over-stay that would cause pollution and lead to several preventable illnesses.
