By: Hope Times News Desk
A renewed inter-agency push to restore order and cleanliness in Freetown gathered momentum on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, as the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Freetown City Council moved to operationalise new sanitation bye-laws aimed at curbing illegal dumping, indiscipline, and wider urban lawlessness.
The high-level engagement, held at the Ministry’s conference room, focused on establishing a strengthened enforcement task force involving the Sierra Leone Police and the FCC. The collaboration is designed to ensure strict implementation of the Council’s revised sanitation regulations, particularly those governing waste disposal and environmental hygiene across the municipality.
At the centre of the reforms is a comprehensive restructuring of waste management, requiring all households, businesses, and institutions to register with approved waste collection service providers and make regular payments for garbage collection services. Officials described the approach as critical to transforming Freetown into a cleaner, safer, and more environmentally responsible city.
Addressing the meeting, Morie Lengor, Minister of Internal Affairs, said the engagement followed formal communication to the Inspector General of Police, William Fayia Sellu, on the need to revitalise the joint FCC–SLP committee. He stressed that lawlessness, indiscipline, and indiscriminate dumping had become a serious concern requiring decisive enforcement of municipal laws.
Minister Lengor noted that unlawful waste disposal had turned parts of the city into an eyesore, undermining public health and urban order. He called for practical and enforceable solutions, emphasising that restoring sanity in Freetown would demand coordinated action and sustained commitment from all stakeholders. As part of the proposed reforms, he advocated for block-based waste collection to improve monitoring, accountability, and service delivery.
Speaking on behalf of the FCC, Chief Administrator Raman Tom Farmar commended the Minister’s leadership in addressing public safety and lawlessness nationwide. He acknowledged challenges with some service providers but reaffirmed the Council’s resolve to continue delivering essential services to residents. Mr. Farmar underscored the importance of public education and appealed for the Ministry’s support in enforcing the new bye-laws, noting that sanitation challenges could not be resolved by the FCC alone without strong inter-agency collaboration.
Presenting the draft enforcement strategy, FCC Environmental and Sanitation Officer Marian J Tucker explained that the city would be divided into eight major blocks, each further segmented into zones to enhance efficiency in service delivery. She highlighted key provisions of the bye-laws, including clear identification and branding of waste service providers, the use of digital platforms, and structured payment systems to improve compliance and transparency.
The meeting concluded with a set of practical recommendations, including sustained radio sensitisation, targeted community engagement by blocks, and the involvement of local stakeholders to build trust and encourage compliance. Participants also agreed on assigning a police prosecutor to work directly with the FCC to prosecute offenders, finalising the bye-laws for enforcement, and convening a follow-up meeting of the Task Force Committee on lawlessness and indiscipline.
Officials expressed confidence that the strengthened partnership would mark a turning point in tackling sanitation challenges and restoring discipline across the city.