By Alimatu Jalloh
FREETOWN — The Freetown City Council (FCC) on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, officially launched the “Dorti Mus Go” sanitation campaign at the Calaba Town Market. The initiative aims to enforce longstanding but largely dormant sanitation byelaws and combat illegal garbage disposal in streets and drainages across the city.
Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Mayor emphasized the need for behavioral change, stating that the drive for a cleaner Freetown must begin within communities like Calaba Town. He condemned the widespread practice of dumping waste in public spaces, stressing its detrimental impact on public health.
“The ‘Dorti Mus Go’ initiative is more than a slogan—it’s a call to action. Gutters and streets must be free of waste, especially during the rainy season. We have the laws in place, and now, they must be enforced,” the Deputy Mayor declared.
Marian J. Tucker, Head of Sanitation at FCC, revealed that previous sanitation byelaws enacted in 2010 had lost traction due to poor enforcement. However, she noted that the newly reviewed laws have been passed through Parliament and officially gazetted. She explained that FCC has divided the municipality into eight blocks with six wards and engaged waste service providers to register households and facilitate paid garbage collection.
Tucker also warned that stakeholders—including community leaders—will be empowered to report offenders who violate the sanitation byelaws.
The Chairlady of Calaba Town Market expressed frustration over longstanding garbage issues, stating that traders often have no designated place to dispose of waste, sometimes resorting to dumping refuse in residential compounds—causing both chaos and health risks.
FCC Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, in her keynote address, acknowledged the complexity of Freetown’s waste management crisis, citing unregulated housing development, deforestation, and improper urban planning. She revealed that the Council spends over NLe40,000 weekly on fuel alone for garbage trucks—funds that could otherwise go toward city development projects.
“This issue is multi-layered,” Mayor Aki-Sawyerr said. “It’s not just about cleaning up; it’s about comprehensive urban planning and policy enforcement to prevent environmental disasters.”
The launch was attended by traditional leaders, waste management service providers, youth representatives, and other key stakeholders—all pledging support for a cleaner Freetown.