A ragged and worn-out fabric carrying the green, white and blue colours of the Sierra Leone flag has been removed from the Cotton Tree, following criticisms from citizens on social media.

Mariam Samai, a child’s rights advocate raised up the issue on her Twitter page two days ago.

“We know things are hard, but please decorate the city. Don’t traumatize the kids; it’s Christmas..” she twitted.

Reacting to her tweet, some users blamed the Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr and the Freetown City Council for the tattered fabric at the Cotton Tree.

“You see one of the FCC gang must had chopped this year budget to decorate the Cotton Tree. maybe FCC sees it a quiet good opportunity for a business deal to put an old flag!” one user stated.

Another one noted that, “We are not going to cast the blame on the central government. The local government seating mayor is responsible to transform the City.”

However, on the next day, the worn-out flag was removed from the Cotton Tree.

“They listened…the dorty cher cher lappa don komot dae… is this where we say “thank you president Bio”? In the book of laybele 001,” Juliana Thambie twitted.

“The tattered cloth that looked like our flag removed from the cotton tree,” SierraEyeSalone also twitted.

Reacting to the removal of the worn-out flag, Mariam Samai called for decoarations of the Cotton Tree for Christmas.

“Now we need alittle decor for Christmas,” she stated.

The Cotton Tree is a historic symbol of Freetown. Freed slaves that we’re transported to Sierra Leone during the slavery era, regarded this tree as a lasting landmark of freedom.