The Freetown City Council has launched the Freetown Market Shade Cover project in Calaba Town Market in Freetown, over the weekend. With the theme “Protecting women and girls from extreme heat”, the project is also being delivered in Congo Market and Bombay Street Market. The project funders, the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Centre and the Atlantic Council, are collaborating with FCC to address the growing challenge of extreme heat resulting from climate change.
The total coverage area of the market shade project in the 3 markets is 669 meter square with hundreds of women directly impacted. The market shade design makes use of modern UV reflective materials and galvanized metal pipe frames. Solar panels have been installed under the shade covers that will store energy during the day and provide light in the night.
This project aims to significantly reduce heat related illnesses and stress in the dry season but will also provide shade for traders from downpours in the rainy season.
“I used the opportunity of the project launch to confirm to traders that FCC is committed to the construction of permanent markets; a three story market is currently under construction in Wilberforce and a call for EOIs is currently being advertised for PPPs in respect of the construction of 4 other markets in the city, including Calaba Town Market. However, in the immediate to short term, the market shade covers will provide much needed relief and protection for traders from the heat and the rain” the Mayor said.
She added that authorities present during the launching of the project were Chairladies and Chairmen of the beneficiary markets, the Deputy Mayor Osman Koroma, Cllr Sheku Deen Mansaray, Cllr Junisa Kamara, Cllr Mary Kamara, Cllr Abu Rahman Kamara, Cllr Abu Kamara, FCC Environment and Social Officer Mustapha Kemokai, Chief Heat Officer and MDU Sanitation Lead Eugenia Kargbo, FCC Municipal Trade Deputy John Lebbie, other FCC staff and Metropolitan Police.
She thanks the project donors and implementing partner Innovation Sierra Leone for their support in making this simple but hugely impactful contribution to reducing the effects of extreme heat on vulnerable women in our city.
FCC pays over Le180M to ACC
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) through its non-conviction based asset recovery process, recovered in FULL the total sum of One Hundred and Eighty Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Three (Old) Leones (Le: 187,904,803.00) CASH, being monies which Audit Service Sierra Leone flagged as inappropriately paid from the Freetown City Council (FCC) funds, by the Council to the Head of the Mayor’s Delivery Unit.
The said monies were paid to the Commission by “Interested Persons” through our civil recovery process, following negotiations in that regard.
The public however, may recall that in a Media Release dated 11th May, 2022, from the ACC, it was stated that the Commission had concluded investigation into the Freetown City Council (FCC), relating to issues highlighted on the Council in the 2019 Auditor General’s Report concerning payments of Council funds to a staff of the Mayor’s Delivery Unit. The payments totaling One Hundred and Eighty Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Three (Old) Leones (Le 187,904,803) according to the 2019 Audit Report, were paid to the Head of the Mayor’s Delivery Unit (MDU).
The Commission confirmed in its investigations that the monies paid to Head of the Mayor’s Delivery Unit were not consistent with the Local Government Act of 2004 and other regulations relating to the utilization and management of public funds and resources. It therefore recommended a civil recovery process. With the payment of the aforesaid sum of money, the civil recovery process has been completed and the file has now been closed.
In that regard, the ACC wishes to reassure the general public that it will not relent in ensuring that public funds are protected, and where necessary, recovered. We thank the Audit Service Sierra Leone for their good work as one of our core partners.
