Recently we called on the Government to hand back the Freetown Fire Force to the Freetown City Council, so that they can begin to wash clean the markets every Sunday and also flush the blocked drainages.
We wish to reiterate that call because we have since found out that there is a growing population of rats which are breeding furiously in the gutters and now do not wait for the place to become dark before they start finding ways to enter our houses, but bravely and spanishly march into our houses any time of the day.
It is clear that those who now want to ignore the rats will do so at their own peril because if they do not enter the main house per se they will enter the roof and at night start running around the ceiling playing hide and seek.
It used to be very disgraceful for a stranger to visit your house and witness the rats playing catch my tail in your living room. Nowadays most people take it as common place and if it does not happen is when you will be asked the question, what have you been doing to live so peacefully?
This is why we have been calling for the Fire Force, because we believe that if they should begin to flush the drainages then it will be the beginning of fighting against this ‘arata’ invasion of our houses.
The ‘arata’s’ have not only invaded our houses but also the offices. It will surprise some people how these ‘aratas’ are able to climb and infest some 14 storied buildings in this town. You will think that they are afraid of heights but you test them and you will be shocked.
However on a very serious note, as we have welcomed the governments free health care initiative which is geared towards reducing the high infant and maternal mortality rates, it is also prudent that the government health agencies begin to think about eradicating the arata menace because they too carry a lot of sicknesses and if we over look them they are more than likely to spark off a nationwide health crisis. Remember how lassa fever kills and spreads. It is known mostly for the eastern and Southern region, but with this new invasion of aratas is it not likely that lassa fever could soon be spread in the City? Is that what we are waiting for to start fighting it?