Established on July 23 by the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, the civic day of general sanitation started this Saturday, August 06, 2022, in Guinea. In Conakry, this day arouses enthusiasm at the level of the various town halls. But it is also a source of trouble for road users. Many citizens, including the sick, were blocked this morning at the level of small roadblocks erected here and there across the city to enforce the ban on traffic during sanitation hours (from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.).
At the roadblocks where two reporters from Guineematin.com made the rounds between 6 and 7 a.m. in the commune of Ratoma, the police officers are rather straddling the respect of the instructions. No one on a machine passes; not even journalists! You have to negotiate with the agents, who sometimes turn a deaf ear, to get the blockade lifted. “We were told to only let ambulances and security guards pass. No one said to let the journalists pass,” replied an agent in charge of the Carrefour Ambiance roadblock to a journalist from Guineematin.com who showed him his press card (issued by the HAC) and his press vest. Yet it was 7 a.m. (one hour before the start of the cleanup work) and the journalist was on his way to cover this activity…
At the level of this same roadblock, at the ”Carrefour Ambiance” and at the same time, the agents also refused passage to a patient, a young boy, of black complexion. “I’m going to the hospital like that,” pleaded this young man, showing his bloated belly to the agents.
“No one comes here,” replied one of the agents, while putting his radio to his ear as if to say “we give a damn about you”. This patient had to get off his motorbike to cross the roadblock on foot and negotiate with a motorcycle taxi on the other side to continue on his way.
Three other women, who were in the same ash-coloured vehicle, also had to abandon their vehicle at the same roadblock to cross on foot, suitcases on their heads, and take taximotorbikes to continue their journey. They were about to travel and were afraid of arriving late.
In Sonfonia T7, many women fish sellers were blocked for more than half an hour by the agents. It was also before 8 o’clock. Faced with the reluctance of the agents, these vendors put on a show to impress (not to say intimidate) the police to finally obtain a ”lifting of the blockade”.
Also, at the Enco5 roundabout, around 6:45 a.m., several road users, in vehicles and motorcycles, were blocked at the market where police officers had erected two roadblocks. The agents were in a hurry to remove the keys from the motorcycles of these people. “You are not informed that there is no traffic this morning?” » asks an agent, the tight face, before seizing the keys of the motorcycle of a young person.
“But it’s from 8 am they said in the press release,” replied this young man who, apparently, wanted to take advantage of the morning to do some shopping.
A colleague who has his dear father suffering, informs us that their vehicle has been blocked in Coyah since dawn this morning; while they left Labé at night because of the rapid deterioration of his health with the hope of being hospitalized this Saturday morning at the latest.
Patients who suffer from renal insufficiency and who had appointments at the Donka hemodialysis center are also blocked (some at home and others on the way) because of the erection of these dams very early in the morning. security…
This means that this so-called sanitation day is rather a day of sorrow and concern for many citizens of Conakry and the surrounding area. The authorities should ask security guards to be understanding in dealing with users on a case-by-case basis and especially taking emergency cases into account. Everyone knows that not all patients can afford to move an ambulance to the hospital. And, the doctors had not included this sanitation day in the medical appointments given to their patients.
Mamadou Baïlo Keïta and Thierno Hamidou Barry for Guineematin.com