Amin Kef: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 31 January 2019:
Freetown City Council has installed street rubbish collection bins across the capital Freetown, to help combat the problem of waste collection and disposal.
Speaking on Radio Democracy FM 98, Mayor Aki-Sawyer said garbage collectors will be collecting garbage from houses and take them to the transit points for onward transfer to dumping sites.
The Mayor admonished residents to always deposit their litters in dustbins and not on the streets. She frowned on residents who do not deposit litters in the street bins close to their homes but put them in bags and wait for garbage collectors for a fee.
Mayor Aki-Sawyer also admonished citizens to abide by the bye-laws of the council and ensure a clean environment for all. “A clean environment will yield a healthier society,” she stressed.
She further disclosed that moves are underway to get another dumping site in the Western Area Rural District (WARD), as in her opinion, the sites in the capital are few and an alternate site is therefore needed. The Mayor said the dumping site would also serve the WARD which lacks dumping facility.
On the control of waste disposal by market people, Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyer disclosed that market dues have increased from Le500 to Le1,000, adding that this increase will help pay for special garbage collectors to collect all the garbage amassed during hours of trading and ensure a clean environment for trading.
Recognising the problem of sanitation in municipal schools because of the lack of f toilet facilities and access to water supply, the Mayor said the Council is in consultation with the Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC) for the supply of water to those schools that are in desperate need.
Happy seeing you again in the news. Madam Mayor there again. Thank you very much for the good job you are doing for your municipality by bringing good sanitation to your inhabitants. Make sure that children underage are not part of any cleaning activity in your municipality which will be considered as child labour.
Keep the momentum going so that your people will vote you in again when the time comes. Work hand in hand with the government for the prosperity of your municipality. GOD BLESS YOU.