August 25, 2017 By Joseph S. Margai
Mayor of Freetown City Council (FCC), Franklyn Baba Bode Gibson, has claimed that the relationship between his institution and MASADA Waste Management Company is not as sweet as one would expect, because the latter is sabotaging the operations of the council.
Mayor Gibson, who was speaking on Tuesday, 22nd August, 2017, during a press briefing held at FCC’s conference room, expressed dissatisfaction over the manner in which MASADA was implementing garbage collection in Freetown.
“MASADA is being given a tipping fee so as to tip all the garbage around Freetown and dump them at the appropriate places, but much is not being done in that regard. Most times, FCC has to intervene because it is our responsibility to clean the municipality of Freetown inspite of the fact that we are paying to them,” he said angrily.
He cited the Monday 21st August, 2017, incident at Granville Brook, popularly called ‘Bormeh’ in east of Freetown, where tricycles and residents dumped heaps of rubbish outside the perimeter fence, thereby causing vehicular traffic.
“That garbage was cleared by FCC and we had to hire three bulldozers to do so. We have already cleared the two lanes that were blocked by the garbage and we are now dragging it inside the fence. That work must have been done by MASADA because they have a contract with us. This is sabotage!” he stated.
However,Jamil Bawoh, Community Development Manager, MASADA Waste Management Company, said his company is a private waste management company that was contracted for 20 years to manage garbage in the municipality of Freetown.
“The specification of our contract was to manage 43 transit points, where we deploy our bins for community people to deposit their garbage. The contract we had with FCC through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development doesn’t spell it out that it is the responsibility of MASADA to manage dumpsites. It is a traditional responsibility of FCC to manage them,” he said.
He said the issue of blame games and pointing of fingers at MASADA by the very institution that should manage the dumpsites, is unfortunate.
“It’s not the responsibility of MASADA to go to communities and collect garbage or clean the streets and drainages. We have a mandate to collect garbage that has been deposited at the transit points,” he said.