Despite the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) in collaboration with its partner institutions has intensified its safety and Right of Way (ROW) enforcement operations across major congested corridors in the capital Freetown, a so-called Solar Bay project believed to be linked to the popular Lebanese businessman Mackie is conveniently constructing a huge structure on the ROW in front of Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel in Aberdeen.

Since the construction work commenced on the ROW right in front of a very important hotel in the country, many concerned citizens not only raised serious concerns over the construction work, they also questioned the extreme silence of the SLP, Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) and Freetown City Council (FCC) over the ugly development, while the workers kept bragging that they have secured the ROW from the government and that no one would stop their construction work.

According to eyewitness accounts, the construction work is seriously affecting vehicular traffic and pedestrians using the road leading to the Aberdeen and Lumley beaches, adding that the construction work has so narrowed the road that vehicles and pedestrians find it very difficult to use the road, including customers of hotels around where the construction work is taking place.

Irate citizens in Aberdeen are annoyed with the inaction of the political representatives in the Aberdeen community, including the Member of Parliament and Councillor, who are supposed to call the attention of the appropriate authorities to what they referred to as the “illegal construction on the ROW.”

“Though some structures illegally erected on designated Right of Way corridors have been marked for demolition, Mackie’s illegal construction on the ROW is still ongoing while the appropriate authorities are silent over Mackie’s ongoing illegal construction work,” one of the concerned citizens claimed.

He added: “Though the Inspector General of Police has assured the public of their commitment to public safety and that the enforcement of road regulations and ROW laws is non-negotiable, we want William Fayia Sellu to walk the talk in the interest of the public. Enforcement of the laws and regulations should not be selective like what are witnessing in the case of the Lebanese business magnate – Mackie.”

Many residents of Aberdeen who spoke to our reporter hinted that should the SLP, SLRA and other appropriate authorities fail to address the situation, they would stage a big demonstration in the community to register their dissatisfaction with Mackie’s ongoing illegal construction on the ROW in their community, which they described as “unacceptable and incomprehensible” for a foreign national and partners to flout state laws and regulations with apparent impunity.
More on Mackie’s bulldozing encroachment in subsequent editions.