FLASHBACK: Recent demolition of the Redlight Market
By Edwin M. Fayia, III, edwinfayia@yahoo.com
Selling in the new, modern OMEGA Market is an opportunity that no one in his/her right mind can afford to resist, but many marketer have some reservations about the road leading to the market complex in the Pyanesville suburb of Monrovia.
Red-Light General Market in Paynesville regarded as Liberia largest business hub in the Paynesville area was recently demolished.
It was last Sunday, July 11, 2021 at midnight when the overly congested and garbage-laden market was dismantled by the Ministry of Public Works backed by the joint security of the Liberian government.
On that fateful night, July 11, 2021, members of the Liberian Government joint security backed by bulldozers carried out systematic demolition of hundreds of market stalls, tables and other valuable infrastructures at the famous Red-Light General Market in Paynesville.
However, on top of the Relocation drive, an uncontrollable traffic jam or congestion has surfaced at the new Omega Road Junction thus, posing serious delays for commercial drivers, private vehicle owners and the hundreds of tricycle riders.
Photo courtesy: Mozart Dennis
Shockingly, at the new Omega Market Northeast of Monrovia, the issue of space to the host the thousands of urban and rural businessmen, women and daily petty traders from all parts of rural Montserrado County is indeed becoming insurmountable to the Municipal Government of Paynesville and Liberia Marketing Association.
When the Red-Light General Market stalls destroyed by the members of the joint security by the orders of the Liberian Government, some top security sources hinted the www.newspublictrust.com that the perpetual traffic jam at the Parker Paint Junction was over.
Ironically, on July 15, 2021, at the 9:00Am, a huge traffic jam resurfaced in earnest causing more panic, anger and frustration amongst commercial, private tricycle and the hundreds of motorcyclists that convey public and private sectors from the densely populated communities of Paynesville.
Every day, there are scenes of confrontations among the businessmen, women and petty traders that have stormed the new Omega Market site in search of the limited spaces in the swampy areas of the market area.
Surprisingly, on July 12, 2021 as usual hundreds of business people showed up at the Red-light General Market grounds, only to see their market stalls completely destroyed and members of the Liberian Government security in ready gears for any confrontations with would be angry businessmen and women.
Henceforth, not move by the shockwaves of anger, frustration and the expected hardships especially the already grave sanitation and environmental crisis at the new Omega Market site..
At the same time, the second phase of the demolition exercise on July 15, 2021, members of the Liberian Government have dismantled almost all the drug infested ghettos and the suspected and hardened criminals have sought sanctuaries in the various neighbourhoods of the Red-light General Market.
Alarmingly, the ghetto boys, girls, men and women seen in the various communities of Pipeline Road, Coca-Cola Factory and Soul Clinic as well as the immediate surroundings of the new Omega Market now lived in grave fear due the threats posed by those drug addicts.
Marketers’ concerns
Accordingly, all the business people including petty traders, street hawkers and the menacing wheelbarrow peddlers were directed to relocate at the limited spaces of the new Omega Market located in the middle of a swampy area few miles from the Red-Light Market on the Monrovia highway.
Reactions from business people, private sector workers and business owners at the Red-Light Market were mixed and majority only pointed out that the timing of the relocation was not realistic considering the implications of the unpredictable Rainy Season in the urban area.
In separate comments, the businessmen and women from urban and rural parts of the country generally pointed out that the timing of relocation exercise and the manner the initiative were carried out by members of the joint security was unacceptable and not in the best interest of many Liberians.
However, some of the businessmen and women told this writer that the Red-Light Market was indeed overcrowded and needed some practical steps to decongest the business hub.
They explained that on a daily basis there was too much confusion at the Red-Light Market to the extent that hardened criminals invaded and entrenched themselves at the strategic locations of the business hub carrying out grave mischiefs such broad day robberies of businessmen, women and other Liberians.
Businessman Allison B. Morgan, 58, noted that the relocation of the Red-Light Market to the new Omega Market has long been over due and should be accepted in good faith by other business people in the country.
He however pointed out that the carrying out the relocation exercise in the peak of the Rainy season was indeed unrealistic and needed critical and careful planning that could have not anger the business people from the rural and urban parts of the country.
For her part, Madam Elizabeth H. Freeman said the relocation exercise in the peak of the Rainy season was timely and needed the inputs of the business people and not only through their leadership.