The people of Gunjur have spoken and the time of uncharacteristic collective impotence is over. Our prominent and courageous leader Dr Amadou Janneh and the dynamic youths have thrown the gauntlet.
As expected, the courageous people of Gunjur stand firmly behind him as he matches to confront the cowardly and blatant act of environmental rape hatched by Golden Lead Ltd abated by the Governments of the Gambia in utter disregard to our humble pleas for sustainable exploitation of our environment.
The indignation has been building for the past two years, the tears and cries for redress has fallen on deaf ears for long. The government seems to prefer silence and political indifference as a weapon to undermine us supposedly in fear of upsetting their economic benefactors, the Chinese government. It not a surprise that the Chinese link economic assistance to unfettered access to beneficiary country’s natural resources often with use of atrocious environmental methods of operations.
There is pervasive feeling that the government is manifestly prolonging our suffering while dismissing us as a bunch of miscreants and disgruntled trouble makers with an anathema to much-needed development for the wider community.
A development viewed through the lenses of a paradigm of unsustainable exploitation of a sea and land resources which leave in its wake a catastrophic degradation of the environment.
A paradigm that does not factor sustainability to replenish the flora and fauna to ensure generations that follows are with pristine resources which our ancestors bequeathed to us. I trust that if our ancestors were as short-sighted and greedy as we are, wantonly exploit our resources as we do now, Gunjur would not have been attractive to diverse communities from all corners of the sub-region.
An ill-conceived and sterile development paradigm that neglect the economic, health and environment impact on the live of the communities in the surrounding fishing villages vis-a-vis the manufacturing and waste disposal processes of Chinese fishing plant. A plant which is arrogantly stationed on pristine beach between a marine, fresh water and fragile ecosystems in vicinity with a potential to cause river pollution with cancer causing dioxins as suspected by our indigenous scientist.
Why the government continues to challenge our patience and moral composure with indignity and evasive tactics seeking to show the seed of dissension and discord in our community. Set a brother against brother, youths against the elders akin to the British colonial tactics supported and encouraged by a recalcitrant Chinese family who shamelessly abrogated all their commitments to the people of Gunjur.
What these Chinese aliens are doing is illegal from the point of view of our customary laws and precedence, from government laws as well as NEA environmental regulations. From customary precedence, the factory is stationed on misappropriated land. The customary laws of Gunjur presupposes land ownership based on communal tenure system akin to many places in the Gambia.
The Land issued to anyone is given with conditions enshrined with good propriety and sustainable management but the Chinese defiled all these conditions with impudence and untamed effrontery satisfied with the backing and encouragement of our own short-sighted people. The land was subtly force-purchased from a Gunjur denizen who was bullied to succumb to the Chinese aggressive tactics.
Secondly from the point of view of Gambia laws, the environment is central to economic development of any nation at least on paper and I have no doubt Gambian law promulgate sustainable exploitation of both sea and land resources. It is no secret that politicians and greedy government officials and its local surrogates all over Africa help alien companies especially Chinese to flout those laws.
Finally, NEA had through verbal as well as written communications confirmed that they investigated the reported incidence of the environment destruction of Golden lead and concluded that their operations are not only damaging, perhaps irredeemably endangering environment and the fragile ecosystems in the vicinity of their operations.
Their waste disposal system and operations are unfriendly and cause great inconvenience to the locals. It’s disposal of unknown and apparently unidentified chemical substances and waste products into the sea had the potential to destroy the marine life. That its fishing methods lacks transparency and are consciously designed to deplete the fish stock in few years.
As I intimated in my previous articles, the people of Gunjur rely heavily for income generation, healthy and cheap source protein from their sea for centuries. That is now in jeopardy necessitated by the short-sighted greed and complicity of our own people and the callousness of the Chinese operators.
After the court case dragged for months, demonstrations and interventions by NEA, the Chinese still has the foolhardiness to stick their finger out and snare at us with indignity and mockery.
Can any African company do this ugly and dastardly act of heedless environment destruction in China and you stay for a month. If the Government of China did not act, the people will take the law into their own hands and burn down the plant because it threatens their livelihood for generations.
The people of Gunjur have been patient for long because we thought the new government will act in our best interest.
In last few months the Golden Lead challenge us with more blatantly. They unsuspectedly dislodged their stench and corrosive waste in a place near Kitty and people of that area were confronted with an unbearable ambience that induce nausea and a sickly feeling. The NEA and other agencies as well as the area council visited the spot and compiled their report but up to now, no tangible action has been taken..why?
This is a monstrosity and aberration of natural justice; a disappointing abdication of responsibility by the reigning government which was sworn to protect our lives and livelihood, our health and our environment.
As if to signal that they don’t care, the Chinese construct a pier on the beach without the approval of the people of Gunjur and the NEA. To smear salt to our wounds, they connect a pipe from the plant to sea to pump dangerous industrial waste directly into the sea. No one except the Chinese know exactly what is being pumped into to sea. The pictures of the pipe are widely circulated in the media especially online.
Few days ago the people of Gunjur woke up to a pungent and outrageously foul stench blown by the wind in the direction of the town. It was so obnoxious and pervasive that the youths have to mobilise to confront the Chinese company physically.
How long can we stand by while an alien family of three greedy Chinese bent on self-enrichment at expense of lives and the lives our families and we cannot do anything about it?
How long can our rights to clean and sustainable environment be usurped by a callous and malevolent family unit in form of a Chinese man, his wife and son and we ride on impotency?
Is this the democracy we gallantly fought for La wallai, by all means we thought and aspired for meaningful change from an unrepentant dictatorship to blooming democracy for better living standard and respect for our human rights?
Our politicians especially KKB, the local member of Parliament and Dr Isatou Touray (the Trade minister) and our own paramount business tycoon Mr Conteh failed us utterly. Gunjurians shall not forget and forgive those who aid the rape of our environment, directly or indirectly. And they be warned that the history of Gunjur when written shall not look kindly on them. For history never forgive those who collaborate with non-Gambians to destroy the livelihood of defenceless people and their environment.
In the turn of this century political imperialism has been subjugated by economic imperialism and it seem to be a conscious paradigm constructed and instrumentalized to subvert the future of Africans. It evinced a scramble for Africa’s resources untapped by European imperialist in ways that is even more diabolical by taking advantage of the myopic and unscrupulous politicians and their docile officials.
Often disguised as strategic and symbiotic economic partnership that envisages skill transfer and infrastructural development for both host government and access to markets and resources for the Chinese.
They understand the psychology that a poor man has no choice but acquiesce to a bait of economic and ill-conceived infrastructural support, albeit a support which is not linked to wider developmental needs of partner countries. One that will shrewdly place those partner on the prism of perpetual consumers of often look quality but cheap Chinese products. To be a country that lack industrial and manufacturing base to compete in the world economic realm as progressive nations whose people will be respected and adored for their good management and economic propriety.
The Gambia need development put not at any cost to the live and health of our people. We need development partners who care for our environment and respect the dignity of our people. Not parasitic partners with eye on superficial returns that jeopardise our own local industries and indirectly impoverish our people.
Written by Lamin Darboe
Leicester
Lamin Darboe, don’t let your emotions and the desire to stay in the limelight drive your decisions. The Gambia under Yaya Jammeh was a land of adhocracy and kangaroo courts but is now moving into the modern era. So let the legal system, albeit with its shortcomings, take its course.
You cannot in tandem with Amadou Janneh be seen to be taking the law into your hands. A move that could trigger public unrest and possibly land Amadou Janneh in jail again while you Lamin Darboe, while keeping your distance in Leicester, could be charged with inciting violence.
This isn’t about whose Kunjuru Ding Yaa Leh Beh Juma Taa Nyaato or a crafted scheme designed to gain political clout or propel one into a leadership position in Kunjur. Let me propose the following:
1. Stop the rabble rousing and fight your case(s) in a court of law. You may solicit Attorney Lamin Darboe’s (the fair and sincere Darboe) help in pursuing this matter in court.
2. Stop the mud slinging on sons and daughters of Kunjur. Alhaji Conteh, that you mentioned in your piece, has done far more for the Kunjuru community that yourself and/or Amadou Janneh may ever do for the community.
3. Let the NEA and other agencies speak for themselves and where they find in the favor of the people of Kunjuru, they can present reports and recommendations in a competent court. You may also demand that the NEA publishes all reports, recommendations and sanctions issued thus far. Seek court orders in respect of Golden Leaf operations but you and your cohorts cannot be seen to be impeding the firm’s operations at will.
4. Where Golden Leaf is a legally registered entity that has been issued with operating permits to operate a processing unit, the people of Kunjuru cannot take the law into their own hands to shutter the operations. Granted that the Kunjurians are free to file suits and/or stage protests to express displeasure at the presence and activities of the plant in the community.
5. Where you can, pool resources from like minded people to invest in fishing and food processing ventures in Gunjur. That way, you can create stiff enough competition to put Golden Leaf out of the seafood business in Kunjuru. Also create gainful employment for Kunjuru youth that they don’t have to look elsewhere! That’s better than attempting to throw a wrench in the works at all cost without offering any plausible solutions to the current conundrum.
6. You stated:
“What these Chinese aliens are doing is illegal from the point of view of our customary laws and precedence, from government laws as well as NEA environmental regulations. From customary precedence, the factory is stationed on misappropriated land. The customary laws of Gunjur presupposes land ownership based on communal tenure system akin to many places in the Gambia”.
Present incontrovertible evidence to the courts that the land in question was unlawfully allocated to the operators or that customary land ownership presupposes…. You’ve got stuff muddled in your head Lamin.
We haven’t seen court orders and fines issued against the Golden Leaf operation. Consequences for public incitement to commit vandalism and/or bodily harm.
Your claim of traditional rights to the land belongs of old and wouldn’t hold muster anywhere. Darboe Kunda Lasilo must cut out the Sabre rattling and stay out of the business of laying claims on land on which they never invested any effort. The FANG KOTO BANGBANGO isn’t gonna yield Darboe Kunda anything but enemies for they (Darboe Kunda) sat by on their hands over the years while the world moves past them. Isn’t Amadou Janneh also a LUNTANGO in KUNJURU as per Darboe Kunda.
The archaic business of, NGALU MAMOLU FUU KENO LA LEH, in Kombo, is clearly out of context. Especially where M’MAMOLU CLEARED AND WORKED THE LAND FOR GENERATIONS ON THEIR OWN SWEAT AND TEARS while traditional Kombonkas (a.k.a Lansaario) sit on their hands. Here lies the issue with the Darboe Kunda land claim in Kunjuru Berending that will not be looked at kindly by the courts. So what happens to LUNTANGOLU that tilled the soil in Berending for generations to build good homes for themselves? Walk away empty handed? Go do your homework on the pertinent laws. And, what happens when residents pay rates and taxes on properties held legally in their name?
Don’t drag Amadou Janneh into this mess. He’d be going muck raking like your very self. He may also turn out to be the proverbial NIISI TUURA that instead of KEH NYINLAA JUNKURO LA, AKA KINDIRO KEH.
MUNA LAMIN, E DAA BO SUUTA SENO TO, DABO KAATE E SEYE!!
salam aleikum warahmatulkah wa barakattuh
Andrew conteh you are it again. If you were in gunjur on last monday the stench of Golden Lead waste will have been overbearing to u. Our people have been patient for long and now we reached the end of our patience and we can’t take it any longer.
I am ready to go to jail for this and even be killed in the process of defending my people against this diabolic act poisoning our people and their dwelings and the senseless environmental exploitation.
As for conteh, He can’t pay Gunjur enough for tye favours. We brought him up and nurtured him up to his advance education. If he were in Faraba it might have been different. His assistance in the gunjur does not give him license to aid an alien company to destroy our livelihood.
Alhamdulillah I may not have contributed as much as him but I did not also aid an alien company to destroy ENVIRONMENT and be a source of discomfort for our people. That is Zulm and Allah does not guide the Zaalimoona.(innallah La yahdi kawmal zaalimeen). The evidence is clear unless one has psychopathic predisposition.
Mandingoli ko NIN EKO NYINO YEH EFONYO KUNTUNG KUNTUNG NGOLA, AFO NETEH TOOWU FANAAYEH EFONYO SEYROO LA Or SUNKANYOLA
Andrew
you mixing two things which have less commonality. Gunjur precisely Darboe kunda and Berending land dispute. We are takling about gunjur environment and livelihood which is in peril.
Darboe kunda and Berinding lived in good neighbourliness and harmony for decades and there was never an issue of land except when Yaya came to power and wanted to settle cassamance jollas in our Tandagos in Haram so that he can beaf up jolla population in kombo south.
In Gunjur land is abundant and we give freely just for bunch of colanuts. We give land to cassamance refugees foe free but they were never ungrateful. what happen was a political ploy to cause dissension between the two most intermingled and inter-marriaged communities.
Dr Janneh knows what he is doing and we have confidence that we are doing the right thing and I hope sanity prevailed in the ensuring days.
andrew just Berending attacked our people and there spirit of conflagration in the air. You comments seem to be in support these usurpers. Our people will take the law into their hands but see what rhe government does.
https://www.gunjur.online/single-post/2018/03/18/Ethnic-clashes-erupt-between-Darboe-of-Gunjur-and-Berending-over-land-dispute
MARCH 18, 2018 AT 10:22 PM
andrew
Just there sre reports of Berending denizens attacked our people and there is spirit of conflagration in the air. You comments seem to be in support these usurpers. Our people will not take the law into their hands but shall see what the government does. Yaya had embolden his tribe to flout our traditional land tenure law that had ensured peace, harmorny and respect among communities. When i was young we used clear the bush and grow rice there but no the jollas claim it belongs to them because there we had jolla president.
https://www.gunjur.online/single-post/2018/03/18/Ethnic-clashes-erupt-between-Darboe-of-Gunjur-and-Berending-ove
Lamin, you and your clan never nurtured Alhaji Conteh at all!
Bojang Kunda can attest to that!
When ALHAJI CONTEH attended college in Sierra Leone, did any Kujurunka or Darbo Kundanka help write his notes for him, keep a good head on his shoulders or help him pass his exams? NO!!
ALHAJI certainly has his wits about him or else he wouldn’t be this successful in business.
You and your rabble rouser enablers that include Amadou JANNEH and your Islamist confusionists are resorting to the plain old Haasidiyaa.
Did what you call a stench from Golden Leaf kill anyone in Kunjuru? NO!
Your evil machinations may lead to violence that could harm innocent people and that can land you all in jail.
I’ll finish with a Wolof (Suruwaa) adage that says, KANYAAN DAYE REYE BOROM. What I see in your writings bears the hallmarks of an ill informed fellow, that’s not worried about committing sins against their neighbors. Plain old Haasidiyaa/KANYAAN and petty jealousies in any book.
You are free to put your life on the line as you stated but you may just end up in jail if you dare to show up in The Gambia after being complicit in inciting riot.
By the way Lamin, when the Kunjuru elders from way back when accepted Kolanuts for gifting out land, it was in a gesture of kindness, Mislimeyaa and respect for their fellow human beings. Those elders never expected anything in return for their kind gesture.
I can’t say the same for you and your dishonest bunch that continue to claim that Sandaali, Brending and all the BERE BERE SAATELU around Kunjuru belong to the old Kunjuru clans.
You all must be out of your minds!! Go earn yourselves a decent living on your own sweat and drop this odious business of land grabbing!
Tells a lot about the character.
You may have heard mention a tree called FANG JANO in the bushes in and around Kombo.
That’s exactly what y’all aspire to be. Now that may not bode well for your type.
We have a responsibility as citizens to protect the environment, we must bring the attention of the responsible authorities to those areas and companies that violate our environmental laws and acceptable practices. We can write about it, we can expose the offending companies, we can even file grievances and in extreme case call for reasonable action and boycott of the products of these companies, but to harass and intimidate company officials for cheap publicity is disgraceful and disappointing. Opportunist abound in the new Gambia and we know who you are and what you are looking for, but one thing is certain you are not fooling Gambians. You do not care about Gambians.
Adrei
I really dont know where you stand. For freedom and human rights or selective freedom and human rights. You with all your ramblings claimed Qadiyani are entitled to TV because it is their roght but it is not the right of people of Gunjur to fight for thrir rights to clean and safe evironment. I think this is trait of dual personality or what we call in mandinka “kayintango”.
You cannot speak for conteh unless you are Conteh himself. I said conteh cannot pay us , meaning Gunjur as a whole because we brought him up. Ask conteh who is Ousman Darboe and me Lamin Darboe. Don’t think the he wealthiest or most succesdful in Ginjur no. I believe i am more wealthier than him in terms of assets portfolio. Education and Qur’an and this by the grace of Allah on me.
We nurtured him yet he set this diabolical chinese company on us destroying our environment and stealing all our fish to give it the voracious chinese. While he benefit financially, our people suffer from shortage of fish because of high prices. No good son will destroy his homeland to enrich himself.
Andrei i don’t chase recognition for that will set me above others but i want to me simple guy who fend for his livelihood like everyone else. It shallown and spiritually deficient people who glamour for reognition in their societies because their psychology is laced with self propulsion, I am not one. If you know me well, my record in gunjur is unbleamish by the grace of Allah.
You can see i dont hide behind pseudo name or wear burga but stand for what I believe in. Please don’t raise false pretension in the BERENDINGKAS because the good and the real Beredinkas are till respectful of our traditional Hroomo nin Boonya towards gunjur and Darboe kunda. It is bunch of miscreants supplanted by Yaya who cannot accept the change. In mandinka the say “min kaafo woto imbeh jang jani lalleh, jeh manke afa suwooti’
We the people of Gunjur will fight for our rights and we will make sure our pristine beach adulterated by the hideous Chinese is restored even it means violent struggle; get that into you head. We don’t need the advice od Dr so and so for we have enough Doctors qualified in all facets, law, Finance, marine biology etc. Gambian especially the shallow educated folks who grap paper certificate think their opinions are sacrosanct in a plethora of Gambian issues no, common sense is what Gambians value not spurious and arch-ignorant supercilious flies that loom on every issue thinking they have the best ideas.
We are sensible enough to perspicaciously distinguish a persona who wish good for us and who is a selfish scoundrel. Our environment is our life and we will stand up to who ever scheme to destroy it.
If you insist on showing how undereducated you are, you can at least use the correct syntax. My advice is that you get a refund from your English teacher and go back to elementary school.
Isatou
You were a small girl in Lamin Sarr kunda when i wss doing my A’level. I know you very well A cousin of my bosom friend. I am not sitting at a computer keyboard massaging my ego, presenting an academic paper. I was using my mobile while in the hospital so don’t think I am unaware of syntax errors.
I used help your dad’s accounts office when i was at treasury and he was at customs. Inteh mankey efulango ti.
Isatou Sarr
Man duma sa morong, demal wutti morom. I can’t really understand how you guys think. We have exhausted our patience and we are not prepared to wait for a lengthy court case which in all manifestations was designed to depreciate our determination. They think we are propelled by emotion and once passion and nostalgia ebbs, we will give up. We had meetings and consultations with government officials and all give us the confidence that this matter will be solved because it very clear that Golden Lead is flouting the evironmental laws and waste managememt agreement they have with NEA.
The NEA had issued many directives for Golden Lead to stop operating only to be undermined by Dr Touray , our MP and Mr Conteh. Last week the youths confronted them and they went to the Alkalo protesting that the youth were illegally sabotaging their pipe which is pumping waste into sea. The Alkalo asked, who mandated you to dump your waste into our sea and they responded that it was NEA. My own uncle who I hosted here in UK was the head of their delegation. Alkalo Giki Darboe being well experienced ask his environment adviser to call NEA ditrctor to confirm the chinese assertion. To his dismay, NEA director said that they never sanctioned such a move and advice the chinese and their local surrogate Bakary Darboe to remove the pipe immediately. The chinese defied NEA on many occasions because they knew they have the backing of the arrogant Dr Touray and Mr Conteh behind them.
Many so-called doctors even those with doctorate DIRIMA BOOFO with unenviable work record think they are entitled to be heard wherever they meander. Many Gambians are well qualified but they don’t append their qualifications against their names, only Drs raise their chest DON’T YOOU KNOOW I AM DOCTORRR.
Supercilious stiff-necked camels who cannot effectively manage a department ingnorably parade their rat catching qualification as if qualification made them not that they made the qualification.
If Mr Conteh station Golden Lead on the Banks of Lameng Daranka, will your reaction be the same especially when they are occasioned to destroy your faaros, your dusty compact road just outside sarr kunda fence passing your primary school. Will you wait for a year for the court to decide on issue while the chinese are busy pumping waste into Lameng Lodge river and mangrove swamps.
We don’t need the advice of maladroit obfuscating secular thumpers to advise us how to conduct oursleves in fighting for our rights for sustainable mangement of our God given resources. Man dumma sa morom. I was there, when the Sarrkunda brothers were fighting bitterly to represent PPP Lamin seat in late 80s until their mum cried for sanity and respect for their baadinya/bookanteh for you can’t speak mandinka well.
Lamin Darboe
It is baffling to hear such uneducated proclamations from an educated individual. Are you now advocating anarchy and lawless in our homeland as ways and means of resolving our differences either political, social or environmental? If you are not prepared to wait for a year to get decision on the issue by the courts, then what are you prepared to do? Are you prepared to take the law into your own hand and try get redress by any means? Those among us blessed to acquired a formal education should be role models, educators, helpers in strengthening the democratic credentials of our nation by preaching, conforming to the adherence of the rule of law and due processes not agitators with motives to stay relevant in the eyes of our people or in pursuit of political office. Emotions may be high here but restraint is needed as our nation is trying its utmost to bring in foreign investments. The triumph of the law of the jungle may resulted in a cleaner environment but ain’t gonna put food on the plates, ain’t gonna educate our kids nor is it going to create jobs for our children. Lets all take a deep breath with cool heads and wait for due processes of the law to take its course.
Natty
No one abhor violence more than me but sometimes meed to do concrete actions to stand and be counted. That’s what Ousainou Darboe realised and step out from his comfort zone to challenged extreme injustice hatched on the opposition by the wicked Yaya administration. That is why Solo Sandeng too visualized and countless defenders of justice world over. Chaalo the common staple food/fish which was the cheapest source of proteins for large majority of people in g Gunjur is push beyond the daily Ndwal threshold due to unsustainable fishing operations of Golden Lead. Our historical river (Bolong feynyo) was one time colorised by industrial waste which was unheard of on my entire life in that town. I think it is prudent that while the case proceeds the dumping of waste should have been suspended till full adjudication is completed but no, these insatiable chinese blantantly igored NEA directives to stop waste dumping. They chose to ignore even the intervention of our elders. In one meeting they offered the alkalo D100,000 to keep quiet and he, with prescience declined the money and ask the village VDC to take it. The chinese promised to build the infrastructure arround beach and the road to sea so that it can sustain their heavy traffic, to our changrin they reneged once they attracted some greedy uncles on their side. If the chinese do this type arrogant behaviour in UK here, our environmentalist and the media groups will force the government to act quickly. If this factory was on the banks of river Gambia near tje Mr Barrow’s village, he would have taken concrete action.
Fews weeks ago, they sneak into Kitty village a dump very toxic and foul smelling industrial waste in their backward. NEA, ministry of health, Brikama area council and some other concerned ministries visited the place and they had to retract their steps few metres away from the dump yard. The people in the vicinity were crying for help because of invasion by house flies. Our people were helpless against an alien family whose company finacial accounts has never been lodged at our tax office. We neither know their revenue base nor their taxable profit sinces operations started. They think their company’s social responsibilty is adequately fulfilled by bribing local surrogates.
Their operations are opaque and the workers are not allowed to gain any meaningful skills. The crucial parts of the processing cycle are out of bounds for Gambians. Our scientist Dr ahmed Manjang suspected from experienced that the most propable cause of river coloration is dioxins which are cancer causing agents. Shall we standby while our people and generations to come are slowly being poisoned all because of some farfetched development which apparently has negative beneficial impact on the communities.
Isatou and Natty Dread, please note that this Kujurunko is an angry, unpolished and uncouth individual that only spews hate and intolerance.
“He go school but he no learn book” I’d say and he’s also a real danger to society with his belligerent TAADIBO tendencies. I agree that he should ask for a refund from his English teachers that may have only taught him Engiliishi!
To think that anyone that was once an Accounts clerk at the Gambian Treasury would think and write the way he does beats my imagination.
It is absolutely sad that this buffoon, sitting in the comfort of new found hospitality in Leicester, would display so much ignorance, hate and envy. I really do feel sorry for him and his family, if he has any. Here’s a great example of a coward!
Dr Isatou, you’re absolutely right that the fellow with the fake callus on his forehead (don’t they all of his ilk) together with his cohort are looking for clout, political relevance and opportunities to propel themselves into the limelight just as the new breed of opportunists that are swelling in their numbers. A new breed of what’s labeled, KIDO JUU TO SAMATO. The empty barrels make the most noise Lamin.
By the way Lamin Fathead Darboe, your statement that “if Alhaji was in Faraba…it would be different” implies that you are labeling ALHAJI a Luntango.
Don’t you recall that Alhaji Conteh’s mom hails from Kunjuru Bojang Kunda. The fact that his dad’s side is connected to the Contehs in Faraba Banta doesn’t change anything as his belly button was buried in Kunjuru and his KUNJURU DING YAA is way ahead of yours with your sorry claim to credentials that couldn’t be verified. Remember that Amadou Scattred JANNEH is a Lungtango of part Sierra Leone Temenay.
And don’t bring Ousman Darbo into your hateful undertaking as I know Ousman as a fine gentleman and a beacon for Darboe Kunda.
You’re free to take comfort in your misguided thinking and rough edges but your vitriol isn’t gonna stop progressive Gambians from moving on with their lives.
I’m gonna stop short of calling you a Darboe Kunda SADAA.
You can pray all you want with an additional callus on your nose but you’ll never find true happiness if you don’t shed that cloak of hate for your fellow man.
E LA MISLIMEYAA MANG NAFAA O NAFAA SOTO!!
ETEH BIKA SIRATI SALO TEYE unless you seek repentance for your sins.
Andrei
Please don’t peddle false insinuations here, I don’t believe in this LUNTANGO concept you evince in your numerous postings.
To me the land belong to Allah as Allah said in Sura ambiya “wa lagat katabna fil zaboor min bahdil zikr annal arzdhi yarrisuha ebaadiyas saaliheena. Perhaps you don’t know Arabic and can’t understand. The earth belong to Allah and his ebaadi shall inherit it.
If you go back to all my postings, there is not a single mention of “luntagno”. To me every one is Luntagno and evidence is in the hadith of the prophet narrated by Abdullah Ibn Omar “kun fiddunya ka ka annaka ghareeb aww aaberu sabeel meaning Taara duniya comin luntango. If you know Darboekunda as you claim here, many of our aunts are married to Lebeys from Senegal and also my grand dad Nyanku Tumandi is a strong advocate of “luntangno” (according to your concept) to the extent he married three of his daughters to the luntango. We in Gunjur don’t believe in Luntango concept like you do, perhaps the Badibunkas.
I mentioned Ousman because you insinuated in second posting thus:
“Your claim of traditional rights to the land belongs of old and wouldn’t hold muster anywhere. Darboe Kunda Lasilo must cut out the Sabre rattling and stay out of the business of laying claims on land on which they never invested any effort. The FANG KOTO BANGBANGO isn’t gonna yield Darboe Kunda anything but enemies for they (Darboe Kunda) sat by on their hands over the years while the world moves past them. Isn’t Amadou Janneh also a LUNTANGO in KUNJURU as per Darboe Kunda”
My understanding above assertion is:
that we the people of Darbokunda were regressive and pride on our nostalgic pre-eminence of being the founders of Gunjur. We have not developed ourselves and others have outpace us especially in the person of your brother Alagie conteh.
I responded that is not the case, Ousman is one of the wealthiest in Gunjur and from Darboekunda. Sorry your irksome assertion is erroneous.
I don’t think you read my postings properly with an unprejudiced mind. I never say anything about my self or background except in response to your ill-conceived notions about me. Ask people of Gunjur who know me from childhood. I don’t patronise recognition or vie for self-aggrandizement however my record stand out in all facets of life.
I first started employment with Gambia Government as maths teacher in LK Secondary school, then a lab technician at Abuko veterinary Department. I move to Acountant general’s department as an accounts clerk at the Treasury; after passing AAT; I was promoted to accountant; after passing my first two ACCA papers in the Gambia; promoted to senior Accountant; finally Acting principal accountant at the control unit. I don’t need to mention all these. I am only responding to your caricature and demeaning comments.
As for what is in my forehead, I tried to scrub it but it refused, because my body is not very good.
Let’s draw our guise on the topic and stop personal barbs and vitriol. You always mis-characterise and try to portray me in bad light but I take solace in Allah’s words ” wa kafa bill laahi saheeda wa kafa bill Laaki wakeelaa.
In accounting parlance, IFRS 9 apply a principle of “SUBSTANCE OVER FORM” in measuring and disclosure of financial instruments. It fittingly applies to you and Isatou. You are mesmerised by form not the substance.
You take offence with syntax errors more than the substance of the issue I am addressing, that seem a bit shallow if I may use that word. Shallow minds are fixated on form but pay lip service to substance. I am not good at English perhaps I should educate myself but My intention is to put my words across.
You don’t understand the ramifications of Golden Lead devastative activities in the lives of our people and their environment. Their activities is causing untold damages but you are blind to that since your relative was and continue to be the mastermind. Please listen to Tuklorr Sey and Dr Ahamed Manjang’s postings in facebook perhaps you will learn more.
Lastly, you pass like a coward unlike Isatou who courageously append her real name. You hide behind a Burrrrrrrrrrrrga and throw mudsling, That is very telling who you are.
Salam alla manitt taba al-huda.
HIDING BEHIND FALSE NAME IS THE HEIGHT OF DECEPTION
The proverb that cowards die twice before they are born is abiding and poignant of media forums and online debates. Why would a person claim to be John while his real name is Ahmed. It borders on cowardice and deception. If you belief in what you posting and carry the courage of your convictions, you should stick for what you belief in.
To claim a false name is tantamount to calumny as the prophet was reported to have said something like “when are you among people whose language you know, don’t pretend that you don’t know the language because in doing so, you are inviting them to say something that they may regret.
In sura hashr: 14 Allah they fight against you even together except fortified townships, or behind walls…. A person with courage will not fight behind a burga but come out in the open, that is manliness and honesty.
Lamin Darboe
Do not contradict yourself in a single sentence sir. Substance is what matter to you not form. Whether one called him/herself John, Peter, Natty shouldn’t mesmerize you as the substance of the topic in discussion is your underlining interest, so courage and honesty shouldn’t be determined by what one’s wear or what one call him/herself. Courageous soldiers in battle would wear balaclavas and face paints and their manliness and honesty is not impacted nor their courage lacking. We can’t expected to be believed when our actions are contrary to what we are preaching, nor can we expected to be heeded when we are the instigators of things we are preaching against. Discourse in environmental issues in our homeland is fast turning into an Imam’s pulpit or a talent search of ”Who is richer among us? who is happier? who is more educated, more religious, have more children or have better syntax? Read your own words Mr.Darboe and see the contradictions”I have reviewed your postings and did observed syntax errors and some poor sentence initiation and construction. I am not fascinated with pointing out your grammatical errors because I know you are not an expert in English.You hardly post a message without disparaging your opponents and questioning their credibility. Stick to the substance and leave the form.A person with courage will not fight behind a burga but come out in the open, that is manliness and honesty.Lastly, you pass like a coward unlike Isatou who courageously append her real name. You hide behind a Burrrrrrrrrrrrga and throw mudsling, That is very telling who you are.We don’t need the advice of maladroit obfuscating secular thumpers to advise us how to conduct oursleves in fighting for our rights for sustainable mangement of our God given resources. Man dumma sa morom. I was there, when the Sarrkunda brothers were fighting bitterly to represent PPP Lamin seat in late 80s until their mum cried for sanity and respect for their baadinya/bookanteh for you can’t speak mandinka well.
Can the real Lamin Darboe please stand up.
Andrei
I have reviewed your postings and did observed syntax errors and some poor sentence initiation and construction. I thought to myself the professor has no clothes but I am not mesmerised by form but substance. I did look at isatou’s as well and sniff some syntax and sentence construction errors as well however I don’t think its lack of knowledge but obvious errors. I am not fascinated with pointing out your grammatical errors because I know you are not an expert in English.
You hardly post a message without disparaging your opponents and questioning their credibility. This is impolite and mean. Stick to the substance and leave the form. Most importantly, write your own articles and stick your picture, that is what Yorro, madi and so many exemplary writers do in this forum. They are conscientious and stand up for their believes. So is Isatou. I may disagree with her but she stood for what she believe in and that is courage.
REMOVE THE BURGA. If you lamin Bojang, say so. You will have to be honest about your name.
Andrei
Believe me we have a big family in Leicester, my sisters, brothers and cousins. We organised get together very often.
Let me tell you I derived great happiness in Sallah and reading the Quran. I am even more happy when my sons correct me when I make error in recitation while leading them in sallah. With exceptionally intelligent two kid, full of comedy, vibrance and exemplary behaviour, which father will be sad. All your prognostications about my persona are dead wrong you will make a poor psycho-analyst.
Again leave the form aside and concentrate on substance and importantly lift the burga.
Anger and rage are not acceptable qualities in those who aspire to lead others. It is clear to decerning minds that Mr Lamin is not well.
Isatou
It is very stupid of you to say I am not well. I dont know why you you lie. Don’t say something you don’t know and you will be a manifest liar. I tell you before I know you and you family. You think we are scared of useless Dr. title especially when you lie.
Isatou
Your father was in customs isnit and was among the ten officers Yaya first expelled when his iron broom reached custom. Please refrain from insults for I have an awkward and rude awakening for you.
Lamin Darboe
Please my brothers and sister let cool heads prevail here. An eye for an eye makes all go blind. Lets all take a deep breath and get our brooms ready to cleanse the dirt left behind by Jammeh and his band of criminals and evening tea in my modest thatched house bungalow in Mauritius.
The Dartkunda little girl must be careful and don’t let your qualification get into your head.
Your father was in customs isnit and was among the ten officers Yaya first expelled when his iron broom reached custom. Please refrain from insults for I have an awkward and rude awakening for you.
But you are not well. Why are you so emotionally invested in this matter to the point of loosing all your senses. You are obviously a Yahya apologists and quite broke at this time. If it’s money you want, I can oblige you. Just calm down before your matter gets to the market.
I concur Isatou.
Lamin is either got underlying health issues or he’s got some screws loose.
I am not a Lamin Bojang but will certainly not let him have the last word in his attempts to create a narrative out of his twisted facts.
Where we allow half baked folks of his nature to get away with a campaign of disinformation, religious intolerance and hate, we’d be doing the New Gambia a disservice. These young fellows that claim to be “clerics” come from very fair, honest and tolerant Muslim families but somehow allow themselves to be sucked into this hellhole of rage, twisted thoughts and anger.
My worry with Lamin and his ilk is that they profess to be looking at issues through an Islamic prism and that Islam is a way of life. In secular society, one is always free to practice whatever faith that one believes in without fear of persecution but where a position on environmental issues is linked to the interpretation of the scriptures, facts can be utterly taken out of context. The added worry is that Folks like Lamin neither bear the perspectives nor points of reference. They will keep picking their friends’ brains for the object of gaining talking points that they may embellish with half truths and outright lies.
First he (Lamin) dabbles with what he claims are environmental issues on the beach. Then he again dabbles with land issues in Kunjuru. We can’t let these rabble rousers have the last word.
I recall that “Mansayaa” in Kunjuru belongs in the household of Njundu Touray and not Darboe Kunda. Infact, KOMBO BAY MU NAA LAALU LETI and that’s the reason that I despise the words, LANSAARIO OR DUURINGO. Lamin must drop his stupid claims to land and leadership that he’s making in the name of Darboe Kunda!
His is clearly an attempt to immerse Darboe Kunda into a fine mess for his personal gain.
Andrei
You lie yet again. Now you are becoming rude and set your sight on personal insults. Who told you Mansaya was in Touray kunda and in Njundu kunda. That shows your deficient knowledge of Gunjur. Before Njundu Touray, Afamara Darboe was the chief. Then Fa Njundu, then Sulayman Darboe, then Lamin Darboe who was dismissed by Yaya Jammeh. He is the chief once again.
Debate the issues not personalities. We are talking about environment destruction hatched by your brother’s company and you bring land issues. As usual your secular thumpers come to your defence thinking their agurements are enlightening when it only expose shallowness and rudeness. You can’t hide your insolence by calling my Kabilo loosers in gunjur still retarded in archaic land tenure system. That is what is expected from uncircumcised lips of yours, only pig sit come out. I don’t use this style of language but you foolhardiness is forcing me to pin sense into you pig head, dotard. Telling not to burn your properties thinking you can impress me by shallow material considerations.
You make many allegations about my person and they were all ignominious lies peedled to disparage me without success. I dont give a dime to this Mansaya/luntang/dooring/land fixation or yours. I care about my relationship with my Lord and not leadership position which will only expose me to harsh accountability on the day of judgement.
Stop your stupid agurements, they don’t make sense.
Now I will match your tooleywa dotard platitudes. Education is not masturbating on the keyboard to parade your language dexterity but meaningful contribution to the society. You and brother Conteh want to destroy our environment but you will be destroyed in the process watch my words. By Allah the chinese will abandon that place you and your evil scheme will be left pants down.
You call me sadaa, bad Muslim and a syting of endless vitriol. That tells me you don’t know me. I f the imam of our mosque can hear you, he will declare you a inveterate liar and liar you are. Bring ir on Mr Burga man.
By the way Lamin, my name is Andrew with a “W” at the end and not Andrei!
Possibly a Lang Jabang?
Nattty
While I respect your opinion on the environmental devastation perpetrated by the ignoble Chinese factory, I beg to differ. To me, people have unalienable right to protect their lived against potential threat that may emanate from discharge of toxic waste products into their sea. As far as I am concerned, if a government we elected will not protect us becuase they cannot afford to offend their party sponsor Mr Conteh, we have no choice but take that pipe out by any means possible. If I were in Gunjur tomorrow, I will sound the traditional Tabaloo and walk in the front row marching to the beach to destroy that dangerous pipe. If I go on holidays next times, I will go to that place; if the pipe is still there, I will single handedly destroy it even if it entail physical fight.
I belief that is the best way to protect our people from the diabolical chinese and their unscrupulous surrogates.
While we differ in approach, i rspect you, Bax and Kejaw because you debate on the issue at hand not partake in petty personal jab contest.
That rat of Andrei think he is wise but he is otherwise. He only skate on enlighten ignorance, an oxymoron for preposterous schadenfreude who find joy in disparaging others. It like a donkey with a load of books. The donkey is only aware of the weight not the value of the books. That is the fitting similitude of arrogant chest popping doctors.
I stand by my assertions, hiding behind a false name is fraudulent and a manifest misrepresentation.
Andrei Gromyko
You made spurious allegations about me. In my next reply I will proof you wrong and expose your lies about me. Please go back and check line by line who brought Land issue in gunjur in this forum. You will see my mention of land topic was only in response to your ugly insinuations
You quote:
First he (Lamin) dabbles with what he claims are environmental issues on the beach. Then he again dabbles with land issues in Kunjuru. We can’t let these rabble rousers have the last word.
You arbitrarily lies poisonous, check all my postings Mr schandenftreude.
“Scandenftreude”
Is that Swiss?
On a more serious note, I don’t work to find fault with compatriots but seek to sustain sensible discourse that hopefully will teach us all a thing or two.
Get your facts right, resist the urge to go muck raking and better still, stop wading into uncharted territory. The fact that you go calling out your Kunjuru brothers and further labeling them with your own choice words doesn’t help with finding middle ground or answers to the current debacle with Golden Lead/Leaf (?). Please note that investors do take risks and therefore have a lot more at stake than you do. So tread cautiously.
Your approach to problem solving is, frankly, driven by emotion and divisive tactics and is outright unsustainable under the Kunjuru BAADING YAA philosophy.
Now here’s the final word.
You go saber rattling and issuing threats on online media or on the ground (if you dare show up) and you’ll hear from me!
SAA BEH DUUMA, SING BEH DUUMA!
BTW, I take the name Andrei Gromyko as a compliment as the fellow was an astute diplomat and negotiator.
From Gunjur online
https://www.gunjur.online/single-post/2018/03/20/D-day-for-Gunjur-as-ultimatum-to-Chinese-company-expires-tomorrow-amid-ominous-warning
Andrei
Now you dwell on the issue. NING TOOLO MANG KOOSI NYAA BEKA YELLEH.
The topic here was “Golden Lead environmental atrocities. In order to deflect criticism you bring ancillary issues, land, Luntang, Darboe kunda, Gunjur leadership. Check my postings carefully whether you will see any mention of this issues. You brought them to the debate to reconfigure my argurements and to confound me. Awalys u tried to deflect me off my thinking trajectory by caricature and disconcerting taunts.
Stick to the topic and defend your company and your brother the parasite.
You defend secularist rights which you are entitled to, no doubts about that but please be consistent in its application. You cannot defend the rights of Qadiyani and deny the rights of Gunjur environmental activists whose only sin was to demand Golden Lead to adhere to NEA environmental regulations and government waste management laws. They refused to abide by the laws of our land but we should respect the law in their favour. Mbanwulengeh. What an egregious and counterproductive posturing. However I thank you for more discerning posting with less viturperation.
Next is Derr toor Isatou. I have your dad’s picture here under the mango tree in the centre of your compound. Please help him diabetic stuff and stop calling be sick person. He is a good friend and gopd uncle od my buddy so by extension my uncle too. EK and AK Sarrs are good uncles in my visit I was in Sarr kunda to express my condolences. Man dooma sa morom.
I read your posting about GIEP officials, alleging that they are corrupt and misfits. Please let those in glass house don’t throw stones. Sariang Joberteh was my friend and so was the other Joberteh who was in the accounts office at Customs department and I know a lot.
Lamin Darboe
Please lets stop this now as it is going too far. Cool heads. Remember one thing sir, you guys are neighbors and others known to you both may be reading what you are writing here. Cease fire please!
Natty
Thanks for your intervention and it is wise indeed to stop here as the debate has been hijack into throwing personal attacks that has no bearing on the topic.
I will not take any nosense and personal attacks from that girl anymore. I have already prepare an arsenal of vitriol against Derr Toor so that she would know herself. I am neithet a bigot nor a tribalist. I can speak wollof fluently but DT can’t speak mandinka. Her father is mandinka yet if you speak to her in mandinka she will respond in wollof or in a sarcastic mandinka dialect. That portend a mandinka-phobic disposition. Cease fire but tell them not me cus they started the foul words laced with an acidic sarcasm.
From now on, I will be a regular contributor to challenge the myopic secular morons who criticises others maliciously but don’t have chin to take sustained criticism.
Andrei
By the way a schandenftreude is a person who take joy at other people’s misfortunes, an Abu Jahl. My next article inshallah is in NDPand achieving internal efficiency amd internal revenue generation to support development. SEE YOU THEN.
That Abu Jahl classification, it seems fits you and Scatred Janneh very well. Don’t forget Lamin, that the BTL cards at the Account General’s archives are still bearing your signatures for falsified payments and transactions all over them. For Janneh, the bills he brought to the NA during his time with Yahya Jammeh has cost so many dear lives. You thinks that you are smart, religious and knowledgeable but you are thousands of miles away from any of those.
One of the signs of a moron is reckless assumption. This dummy does not know me and already made a leap into someone else pedigree. Since you are salivating for information know this. I am Dr Sarr, a title you are too dumb to acquire. But let’s talk about something you want and respect. Recognition and money. You are broke and powerless. You are stuck in a job you hate and you dream about bullying your way into the new Gambia reality. I tell you a secret, I make more money in a month than your entire family will ever see in a lifetime. In The Gambia you are a serial womanizer, and perhaps we should start naming all those poor young girls you forced your little thing on. You have self doubt due to your ugly physique and little size, but you display your rage on the innocent. See now you know I know you. Listen “little Man” you’ve never met a woman like me. I eat idiots like you for breakfast everyday. So be ready for a beating!
Let me make a final note to this pretender who never opened the Holy Quran. This is from Imam Ali. I know you are too stupid to know him. From the peak of Eloquence:
“A moment of patience in a moment of anger prevents a thousand moments of regret”. Even a donkey can relate to that.
Sarr, Darboe and Andrew,
Can you please make a final halt to these exchanges which are indeed very ugly. In the name of Allah the Almighty (SWT), whose Creation you all believe in, I appeal to all of you to make a STOP at these exchanges which have no bearing on our information, education and social interactions. PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE!
The message here is that Lamin Darboe, that’s not too distatnt from your very self Babu, cannot seen to be waging a campaign of hate, bullying, misinformation and buffoonery.
I call this final on the suggestion of Natty Dread but not that we are planning on letting hate gain the upper hand or throw in the towel.
Unfortunately with Lamin and Babu, the adage applies that, You can only take the horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
Eh Eh Dr Sarr, I beg Oh. Do Ya, Hat Day For Ground. A BAALAL YAMOYE.
A TAA SEYINKANG NA.
NYAA TONTO HAABU LEH KO SII NYAA FULA in typical Kunjuru fashion!
Please spare my Kombonka brother the agony, weeping and gnashing of teeth!
NTEH NGANG NNA BAALU DUNDI LEH SILANG Natty. But that wouldn’t stop me from doing my Kombo JAMBA DONGO with the attendant Jambanjelli song, TINDINGOLU KO TO DIYAA, KEBAALU KO SAAYA!
And yes Bajaw, I did dabble with comedy before and had eggs thrown at me!
Andrew,
You may say/write what you want about Babu. But I remain unabated in my quest. Please STOP this harsh exchange of words. PERIOD!
From our learned Andrew Pjalo and i hope the horse is made to drink from this well spoken words of wisdom from a very learned and thoughtful brother. Andrew’s wise words below:
”There’s the saying that you can only take the horse to water but you can’t make it drink. So this is an attempt to gently nudge you into sobriety for clearly you act delusional many a time.
So Babu, count on your level of refinement, fairness and do as the health minister did by biting the bitter pill too. Stop going to bat for Yaya Jammeh because I truly believe that you are above that level albeit that I’ve never met you in person.
Under the APRC, a lone general that has never seen the inner workings of a college classroom, masqueraded as a SAMAYO in Kombo Serrekunda Nding would, on the strength of a hand written note, draw a Million Dollars from our coffers? Doesn’t that trigger alarm bells in your head?
So Babu, in a nutshell, I want you to wake up to the smell of the roses, get out of your glee dance before you fall off of the cliff. Oh and by the way, employ your time wisely, shun insults, mud slinging and carry your thinking cap with you so you may leave a legacy for your kids. Clearly what you believe may leave you a legacy in the short term would taint you forever. But, as always, YOU DON’T HAVE TO CARE!
You can as well sit in your neck of the woods and go raving, ranting and stoking your ego while valuable time drifts by you like is the case with the hapless, anti Ahmadi clerics in The Gambia. A reminder that I’m a thick skinned optimist.
Babu, what’s the real object of your dissent and your anti New Gambia stance.
I will state that at your professed level, that is your claim to have been educated and call Europe home, I would expect you to show more finesse in your approach to sensible discourse. The position of Yaya Jammeh or nothing else is akin to Jingoism.
We cannot be seen to do business as we always have if we look to achieve different results this time around. That is an untenable situation. Frankly, your position and narratives are becoming absolutely sour, unintelligent and devoid of substance”.
You stop your insidious and hateful propaganda too. PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can see that Andrew; some Samayoo dance probably…
The Golden Lead Company is dumping toxic waste into our soil and water, the company, the Officers and those in The Barrow administration that are aiding them must be stopped. Concerned citizens must study the company, its operations and SOPs. We must articulate what exactly they are doing to harm or environment and the consequences of their actions. We must site specific injuries they have caused and establish a causal relationship between the company actions and the damages. We must clearly establish how they should operate their business in an environmentally responsible way moving forward and how they must remedy the damages already done. We must do all these with outmost respect and in compliance with our laws. We must engage the media and politicians in our quest to make Golden Lead a responsible corporate citizen. We must engage the company in dialogue with the aim of making them a good visitor in our country, they can make money and we can have jobs and a better life for our people. We must not escalate the tension already on the ground, this will result in unnecessary loss of innocent lives. We must not resort to violence under any conditions and we must through our actions send a clear message to investors worldwide that Gambia is business friendly and safe.
God Bless The Gambia.
The Kunjuru community and Golden Lead, in the interest of mutual co-existence, could strike middle ground in tabling the following items:
1. The possibility of setting up bio-retention/detention ponds to treat the effluent emanating from the processing facility before release.
2. Explore the possibility of Biogas generation from digestion tanks for sale to local clients.
3. Collect, treat and sort the solid waste for dehydration into usable nutrients for animal feed supplements and other applications.
4. Review the product handling process in collaboration with local fishery experts for the object benefiting from product recycling throughout the chain.
5. Integrate water saving measures into the product chain to reduce the amount of effluent generated.
I want to point out that in the absence of proper handling and treatment, effluent from food processing facilities will always yield foul odors as a result of putrefaction/decomposition.
The proper handling of effluent will still yield foul odors but the output will not be as bad or pungent as it would be with careless dumping. Particularly where pre-treatment and/or retention structures are installed.
However, a precedence(s) could have been set with older seafood companies such as the old Swiss Cold Stores, NPE, Seagull Fisheries, Gambia Marine among host of others that dumped foul smelling effluent into Gambian waters but nobody cared and few alarm bells were raised. So the got away with that and tied the government regulators’ hands in the process.
So this seeming debacle is about doing the right thing and striking middle ground that calls for Golden Lead investing in effluent handling structures in the interest of good environmental stewardship on one hand and reducing point source pollution. The people of Kunjuru on the other hand must come up with additional goodwill and community effort to save a much needed investment and a source of employment in a far flung community like Kunjuru.
What I call Kunjuru KAWYEH KUNDA.
I couldn’t help throwing that in there! M’MAMOLU LEMU!
Let’s all smile together.
JARRANKOLU KO, NING TUCHO YEH E DII, JAATO SENNEH. Isn’t it Bajaw?
But what do I know?
Andrew, kombo issues touch my nerves as one of us…
I like, for others to say much on such issues; in the dedicated endeavour to better ourselves & our very Gambia community in unison…
The company brought, business, jobs, livelihoods & recreation etc along & equally (suppose) ought to be responsible in expectant & live up to its environmental responsibilities as directly resultant of their wastes being produced at the factory, as to how their waste is managed & disposed off responsibly…
Dr said it all; the damages should be catalogued procedurally & presented formally to the Environmental Agency for action for Golden Lead to come to complete order; & if they don’t, the evidences be filed in court of law for redress & permanent remedy to the ‘menacing issue’…
The current confrontational approach have already attracted the due attention necessary but no need for violence; the right attitudinal approach must be explored within ambits of law to the end for resolving the issue…
God bless Gambia…
I will add point #6
6. Environmental regulation must be designed to be specific and enforceable.
Where enforcement actions guided by specific legislation is called for, politicians and local councilors must have NO sway in the process. I wish to point out in The Gambia, the Ministers of state, legislators and Area Councilors can be impediments to the enforcement of environmental regulations. Particularly, where they have a vested interest in a target of enforcement action or have been offered backhand compensation in the roll out stages. What they like to label, inducements instead of a bribe!
Water/runoff, soil and effluent management must form integral parts of the permitting process for seafood operations, land/real estate development and site works.
Golden Lead must be properly educated on environmental regulations on the books and where too many loopholes and gray areas exist, the relevant arm of government must go back to rule making to address the deficiencies as a matter of urgency.
For a start, all seafood operations with discharge amounts that exceed set limits for exemption must construct effluent/discharge retention structures to capture and treat effluent prior to release into waters of state (rivers, streams, tributaries and sea).
Another subject for regulatory review would be the modern conference center being built in Bijilo/Kololi that may result in large paved surfaces that were hitherto non existent. One may be considering dumping all runoff into the sea to cut costs. That may not be a good idea. The developers must be guided by regulations that require the construction of retention ponds to capture large scale storm water runoff that could lead to land degradation. The same ponds could be employed in beatification and water preservation programs.
Dredging and mining operations must not be exempt from environmental regulations either albeit that they may be seen as creators of employment. In fact, they are the chief creators of environmental degradation in the world and must be monitored diligently if we are to preserve our environment for future generations.
I am told that there is a Gambian Environmental Action Plan of 1995 and an earlier National Environmental Action Plan of 1994. Not sure where they are buried but they address several points raised by Andrew. Sadly it does not appear the administration, the companies nor the land owners are aware of the existence of this protective documents.
Again highlighting the need for educational and awareness campaigns to create buy in /ownership of Environmental Action Plans (EAP). Sadly Dr Sarr, money is spent on the pomp and fanfare associated with launching programs but thereafter, follow up becomes an issue as efforts fizzle out over time.