Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee early Thursday 22 November heavily deployed City Police in the capital to restrict street sellers otherwise known as petty traders here.MCC task force personnel dressed in blue jeans treasures, blue T-shirts and blue face cap took complete control of all major streets of the city.
The task force was supported by a second batch of personnel dressed in their regular gray uniform on standby to intervene in any eventuality that may arise.However, while the city police task force was executing the city ordinance, which prohibits street selling, some aggrieved members of the Petty Traders Association of Liberia (PTAL) also had men with live speakers, inviting all those selling in the streets to a mass gathering.
Petty traders were seen with their goods packed and placed in colleagues’ shops to avoid being confiscated by the MCC task force.Some of the aggrieved traders told The New Dawn Mayor Koijii was looking for trouble because according to them, they told the MCC their members would not pay US$20.00 waste management fees imposed if they do not make business due to the latest measure being enforced.
Jeremiah Sackie, who claims to be one of the preventatives of the aggrieved petty traders, confirmed that today’s meeting would highlight the next course of action they intent to take in reaction to the MCC blockage on their operations.
Meanwhile, the Monrovia City Corporation has consistently said the waste management fees arise as a direct result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reached between the MCC and the PTAL leadership geared toward facilitating the removal of garbage in the streets.
Some business commentators wonder whether the MCC has the capacity to keep the enforcement in place, considering the daily cost of sustaining officers deployed at every street corner in the capital.
By Emmanuel Mondaye–Editing by Jonathan Browne
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