Sylvia Hebron writes
The protesters expressed fear that the wrong people will end up benefitting from the temporary shelters in Mile Six in the Koya Chiefdom, secured for flood victims by the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL).
They waved placards demanded they be relocated. They claimed the first sets of persons relocated on Sunday were not flood victims and that people are already residing in the temporary accommodations.
The protesters say they suspect a 400,000 Leones and a bag of rice to each household that has not yet been relocated is a sort of compensation; leaving them with no home to go to.
At the onset of Hurricane Fred which left hundreds of Sierra Leoneans homeless in Freetown, the GoSL accommodated the flood victims at the Siaka Stevens and Brima Attouga stadia in the west and east of the city.
On his way to work on Monday morning, President Ernest Koroma came upon the protesters around the Cotton Tree. He later spoke with the leader of the protesters.
In an interview on AYV Radio’s Issue of the Day on Monday, Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Mustapha Bai Atilla refuted claims that people are already residing in the temporary accommodations.
He informed 130 households are being catered for and that the first 50 have been relocated. He said the remaining 80 will be built in due course.
The Minister said the sum of Le 400, 000 and a bag of 50 kilogramme rice will be distributed on Tuesday to remaining households while they await the construction of the remaining temporary structures.
Recently, the Communication Pillar at the Flood Command Centre brought together stakeholders and heads of the Koya Chiefdom to discuss the relocation process.
