DN News Liberia has observed that despite the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) announcing a ban on dumping at Center Street, the mandate remains unenforced.
A few weeks ago, during a major press conference, Monrovia City Mayor John Cheruk Siafa declared the closure of Palm Grove Cemetery on Center Street as a dumping ground. He stated that this decision aligns with efforts to rebrand and restructure the cemetery following the removal of the gravesites of two former Liberian presidents.
However, DN News Liberia has noticed that the city police officers previously assigned to secure the area are no longer on duty, leaving the site vulnerable to illegal dumping. As a result, waste continues to pile up day and night, worsening sanitation conditions.
Residents in the surrounding communities have expressed frustration over the growing waste crisis, as well as criminal activities taking place inside the cemetery after dark.
Additionally, DN News Liberia contacted the MCC Communications Director, who confirmed that the street—known for being home to many drug-addicted youths—was officially declared closed to dumping. However, community-based enterprises (CBEs) responsible for waste disposal are reportedly refusing to transport garbage to designated waste stations in Fiamah and Stockton Creek.
Sanitation workers at the site are also at high risk, as they lack protective gear such as masks and gloves while handling waste. MCC tricycle operators remain exposed to hazardous conditions without proper safety measures in place.
Despite increasing waste accumulation, the MCC has yet to take decisive action, unlike in previous cases where mounting public pressure forced the city government to intervene.
