Residents of Wilberforce are now complaining bitterly over the poor state of their roads.
The residents who are disgruntled told Awoko that it is a shame that the once-famous Wilberforce has now been reduced to a mere shadow of itself.
One of the residents Ai Sesay told Awoko that it is as if they do not have a Councillor , MP or even the Mayor who is from Wilberforce.
“One of the worst roads in the place is Regent Road which leads to the centre of the place. On a daily basis we have to endure bumpy Okada rides because of the numerous potholes at Regent Road, while the okada riders refuse to go down Freetown or Signal Hill road,” she said.
Another resident, Jonathan Williams told Awoko that the place has been so neglected that the market is now an eyesore while the community centre is threatening to fall apart.
“The roads are terrible and no one seems to care. We have a situation in which the councillor is fighting the Mayor and the MP is hardly making a mark. Wilberforce is a shadow of what a town near the city should not be but no one cares,” he said.
The Mayor last week appealed to the Chinese and they graded Regent Road but the same day, the rain washed the clay soil and left the potholes gaping.
“Now, unlike its counterparts like Lumley, Murray Town, and Congo Town, we have been left behind. Even Aberdeen is now far ahead of Wilberforce and so we are crying to Government to look into the plight of Wilberforce and make our lives better. We don’t even have a land to build a market,” Jonathan said.
He recalled that Wilberforce has produced a lot of prominent men in our society but nobody seems to recall or care. He mentioned the likes of nationalist, former President Saidu Momoh, Tunde Cole former Solicitor General, the present Secretary to the President Osho Coker and the now Defence Minister Palo Conteh together with the Mayor of Freetown Bode Gibson. So why should Wilberforce be in such a bad state? he asked.
Already, there are plans to commemorate the death of ex-President Momoh next month and the residents are wondering whether the town will be left in such a bad state.
Meanwhile the residents are frowning on the lack of corporate social responsibility on the part of many of the big investors in the place including Airtel, Africell and others.
They have done nothing but use the place to make money.
July 29, 2013
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