The Mayor of Kakata City in Margibi County says he is instituting several measures aimed at keeping the City clean.
Mayor Emmanuel M. Goll in an exclusive interview with newsmen on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, said as of August 1, 2018, he will begin taking some measures in the City.
He said some of the measures include the relocation of parking lots, having constant engagement with Community leaders and the breaking down of makeshift structures along the streets and in various Communities as well as constant Media engagement among others.
The Mayor disclosed that recently he engaged Media Executives in Kakata and gave them a task to help the Corporation inform the public on garbage disposal and the City ordinance, something he said was granted by those Media Practitioners.
Mr. Goll disclosed that previous administration did not inform the Citizens on the ordinances and they are not aware of garbage disposal in Kakata with the exception of those making business in the main streets.
He further narrated that Liberians are stubborn and do not follow instruction noting,
‘You tell them you that doing your business put your garbage can in the street in front of your table so that when you create your dirt you drop it there; but they will leave the garbage can there and throw the dirt on the street’
promising to make sure they adhere to whatever instructions that will be given.
According to him, the Corporation is engaging street vendors gradually and creating an avenue where Community and City Inspectors are informing the people as to what they should do.
He also emphasized on Community Chairpersons serving as Community Watch Forum Chairpersons terming it as a conflict of interest and an impediment to giving the requisite information to the public.
Lamenting on the issue of makeshift structures in the City, Mr. Goll said when he took over Kakata City; his first announcement was for Kakata residents to clean their houses and build decent bathrooms, but he has observed that many people have decent houses with makeshift bathrooms thus authorizing the Police to break down those makeshift structures.
He indicated that the Corporation has instructed people who have their houses built with palm thatches or tarpaulins to break down to and have them rebuild but they have refused.
Still on the measures put into place, the Mayor said a spot has been identified by the Corporation through a negotiation with a men identify as Mr. Flomo and the FRTUL to relocate cars traveling to central and southeastern Liberia which will be implemented as of August 1, 2018 while a negotiation for a spot on the 14th Road to be used as a parking lot is ongoing.
He said Motorcyclists will also be taken off the main streets and be placed at various points or parking lots for the free movement of pedestrians. The Lord Mayor narrated that he has also authorized the Transport Union to print tickets that will be issued to passengers for the safety of their goods.
Meanwhile, Mayor Goll has outlined challenges confronting the Kakata City Corporation. He revealed that from Monday to Saturday the Corporation pays not less than L$6,000 to hire car to dispose of dirt due to the lack of dump track and other materials.
The Mayor intoned that the Corporation needs dump trucks, shovels and rakes among many other things to run the City on a daily basis.
The Kakata City Mayor took over the City on May 11, 2018 and has been seeing in the streets of Kakata instructing Marketers and owners of vehicles to help keep the City clean.
