Freetown residents are pushing back against the government’s plan to divide the city into two.

At a town hall meeting held on Thursday, June 26, nearly 600 people showed up and made one thing clear. They don’t support the move.

The meeting was organised by the Freetown City Council and chaired by Deputy Mayor Kweku Lisk Esq. It brought together councillors, civil society groups, youth organisations, religious and traditional leaders, market women, Okada riders, development partners, and members of the media and APC leadership.

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During the two-hour session, speaker after speaker criticised the plan and said residents were not properly consulted. Many argued that Freetown is already dealing with serious challenges, and instead of splitting the city, the government should focus on improving service delivery.

Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE gave a presentation explaining why she believes the split would only make things worse. She pointed to long-standing problems with how land is managed and where buildings are allowed to go. These responsibilities are still handled by the Ministry of Lands, not local councils.

She explained that because of this, and with the city growing quickly due to rural-urban migration, over 45 percent of Freetown’s residents live in areas that cannot be reached by road or tricycle. This makes it hard to deliver basic services like sanitation. According to her, dividing the city would not fix these problems, which come from the way urban management is currently set up.

The mayor also said creating two cities would need a lot of money, at a time when the government is already struggling to meet its financial commitments to the Freetown City Council.

The meeting drew public figures from several sectors. Among them were Femi Claudius Cole of the Unity Party, outgoing SLAJ President Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, who joined via video, Augustine Sorie-Sengbe Marrah Esq., President of the Lawyers Society, and Monic Jackson from the KIDS Parliament. All expressed concern about the government’s plan.

A panel discussion followed, with insights from Francis Reffell of Community Development and Human Rights Protection Association, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Samuel Valcarcel Esq., President of the Krio Community, and councillors Zainab Conteh and Samuel Ojumiri Osafele. They all spoke about the lack of proper engagement with the people and called for the government to focus on the real issues facing residents.

By the end of the meeting, the message from the crowd was clear. Freetown should not be divided. Many called on the government to drop the plan and pay attention to what people are really asking for.