A mounting heap of garbage at the former site of the Gbarnga Central Market has become a growing public health threat, sparking outrage among residents and local business owners who say the stench, flies, and unsanitary conditions are making life unbearable.
The once-busy marketplace, abandoned after traders were relocated to the newly constructed Sirleaf Market, has now turned into a dumping ground. Business owners and beauty salon operators nearby say the situation is worsening daily, with no visible effort by city authorities to clear the waste.
Sianneh Mangaye, a salon operator near the old market, told the Daily Observer on October 20, 2025 that the garbage is threatening their health and livelihoods. According to the market woman, the garbage is seriously causing heart attacks, citing that customers complain all the time, and it's affecting their business badly. If the city can just remove the dirt, we'll be happy." Mangaye said the waste pile has been accumulating for over a year, even before the old market was demolished, despite their regular payment of taxes to the Gbarnga City Corporation (GCC).
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Another businesswoman, Madam Musu Kamara, expressed similar frustration, saying that the bad odor and constant flies make it difficult for them to eat or work comfortably. "Every morning we pay city taxes, yet the garbage remains," she said. "It's been more than a year now, and nothing is being done." However, in response to claims linking marketers of being responsible for the existence of the garbage, they also denied being the main culprits, claiming most of the dumping occurs at night by outsiders who use the abandoned site to dispose of their waste.
Residents like Annie Anita Topa, who lives close to the site, told reporters that the situation has become intolerable. "We're suffering," she said. "The smell enters our homes, and our children are often sick. If they don't remove this garbage, we'll all end up in the hospital." Many fear that the growing waste pile could soon trigger outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and malaria.
In response, Pastor John Z. Forkpah, Health Officer of the Sanitation Department at the Gbarnga City Corporation (GCC), acknowledged the problem but blamed a private landowner for neglecting the property. Mr. Forkpah explained that the land under question belongs to the Porte currently residing in Monrovia. He maintained that the land owner started developing the area after the market relocated but failed to fence or protect it. We cleaned it before, but people dumped it again."
The GCC Sanitation head noted that his office had warned the landowner to maintain cleanliness but noted that residents and business owners also share the blame for dumping waste carelessly.
GCC Chief City Inspector, Sekou Jabateh, described the situation as a "shared failure," blaming both the landowner and residents for the continuous dumping. "You can't expect city workers to clean everywhere while people keep throwing dirt," Jabateh said. "Everyone must take responsibility. The city spends large sums monthly to collect garbage, but people still refuse to cooperate or pay sanitation fees." He warned that anyone found responsible for illegal dumping, including the property owner, could face fines or prosecution.
Public health experts in Bong County have meanwhile sounded the alarm, warning that if the garbage is not urgently removed, the area could become a breeding ground for disease. They called on the Gbarnga City Corporation, the Ministry of Health, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to intervene before the situation escalates into a full-blown health crisis.
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The garbage issue emerged from the 2024 relocation of marketers from the old Gbarnga Central Market to the new Sirleaf Market, following the completion of the Sirleaf Market Project. On July 28, 2024, the Gbarnga City Corporation, led by Mayor Gallah Varpliah, in collaboration with the Liberia Marketing Association (Bong Branch), demolished the old market despite earlier appeals from marketers for more time due to financial constraints. Traders were charged five thousand Liberian dollars per table before moving to the new site, but many struggled to meet the payment.
Today, the former market grounds stand as a stark reminder of that forced relocation -- a site once filled with commerce and life now buried under filth and neglect. As the waste pile continues to grow, residents and business owners are pleading with the city government to act. "We don't need promises," said salon operator Mangaye. "We need action. The dirt is killing our business and our health."
