President Adama Barrow has said that the country’s markets have enough spaces to accommodate traders as he reacted to complaints by business owners whose roadside shops and structures were demolished by the police. 

Barrow is facing backlash from the affected and their supporters who complained that they were not given enough notice before the demolition. 

The government however cited that the operation is in the public good to help address roadside accidents and keep the country clean of littered materials, as the country gears up to host the world biggest Islamic conference, OIC, in May 2024.

Speaking to reporters, Barrow said he understood the plights of the affected people but added that “we cannot govern this country by doing things the way we want it. We have to follow due process; we have to respect the law.

“This is what everybody should understand. It’s part of the government’s responsibility to make us build markets or create environments for businesses and the government is doing that.

“But I can tell you that some of these women who are sitting on the road doing business, they have available spaces in some of these markets. If you go inside the markets, the markets are empty. The main thing is these women tend to compete for customers.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba