1/12/2024
The Freetown City Council wishes to provide the following clarifications regarding issues surrounding the Ephraim Robinson Municipal Primary School Playground, located in Congo Town.
1. That the Ephraim Robinson Municipal Primary School and its school playground are the property of and under the operation of Freetown City Council (FCC).
2. That Hon Alfred Thompson approached the management of FCC proposing to lay astro turf on the Ephraim Robinson Municipal Primary School playground and to then manage the playground as a commercial enterprise.
3. That the management of FCC welcomed the proposal to have the astro turf donated to the primary school but rejected the proposal to commercialize the school playground under the management of Hon Alfred Thompson.
4. That Hon Thompson proceeded to build concrete walls with a raised wire mesh around the school playground without notification to nor permission of FCC.
5. That in doing so Hon Thompson blocked access to the school playground for the children, effectively trapping the children behind the wall and the wire mesh in a prison-like environment. The only access to the school playground were through two locked gates that are controlled by Hon Thompson.
6. That in the event of a fire or any other disaster, the school children could be crushed in a stampede as they would not be able to get out of their classrooms and into the school playground with speed or ease.
7. That the school playground is first and foremost for use by the school children and that the safety of the children is of paramount importance.
8. Therefore on Monday 25th November FCC removed the block work and the wire mesh preventing the children from directly accessing their school playground. (See attached video footage from that day).
9. That the walls and wire mesh that were not blocking access to the school classrooms (those facing the street and those along the left flank of the playground) are providing security for the school playground and were not touched or removed.
10. That FCC management has stated that the school playground cannot be commercialized for personal purposes. Support for the school’s development is welcome but not at the expense of safety and access for the school children.
11. That rumors the school playground was leased to a church are completely unfounded and untrue. The land legally leased by FCC to the Faith Healing Bible Church for the construction of a much needed health centre and a small church is set behind the school building and is in no way connected to the school playground. The land lease matter is totally separate to the seizing of the school playground by Hon Thompson.
12. That FCC continues to work with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, the Ministry of Western Area, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary School Education, the Local Government Parliamentary Oversight Committee, ONS, SLP and PROSEC for the return of FCC’s property being the Ephraim Robinson Municipal School Playground and for the unrestricted access and use of the school playground by the school’s pupils.
*©️FCC Communications*