By Olimatou Coker
Modou Jonga, the Chief Executive Officer of Brikama Area Council, has urged people to develop the right attitude in keeping the environment clean and to also take ownership of the environment.
CEO Jonga made these remarks on Friday in Brikama during a training and sensitization forum organized by the Gambia National Commission for UNESCO/ NATCOM on environmental sanitation and management for local authorities and the community.
The program is funded by ICESCO and organized by UNESCO/ NATCOM in partnership with National Environment Agency and BAC.
The aim of the sensation is to engage local authorities, women, and youth groups in advocacy to raise their awareness on the importance of relevance of legislation/conventions on environmental sanitation, and protection as well as popularize the existing laws and policies governing the proper upkeep of the environment.
“Take ownership of the waste that you generate as a result of your business activities because environmental sanitation is no one’s individual business, it requires a collective and concerted effort to keep the environment clean. People must develop the right attitude. People must dismiss indiscriminate littering in the market environment or you know, their environment because people should not allow waste within or at a certain area of their businesses. So they should ensure that their businesses are clean and also free of litter.”
He explained that this training is very important to them and he hopes that is going to improve their level of awareness about what are their roles and responsibilities in ensuring a clean environment.
He added that the program is very important for the Council considering that environmental sanitation and management is a key starting priority of the council 2020-2024. “So, if we receive such a collaboration from Gambia National Commission for UNESCO is indeed very timely.“
He pointed out that the training will help to “improve the environment, and sanitation of the environment, which is central because the West Coast Region is the most rapidly local government area in the country, and then the fact that it is the most rapidly urbanizing comes with considerable challenges. Because we are faced with issues like dealing with waste and the environment, which is as a result of rapid population growth rate, but also urbanization. So, it is very important to ensure a clean, safe environment for the residents of Brikama and also the market users because the targeted area is the central market which is a commercial hub for the entire country and also the sub-region as well.”
CEO Jonga said they hope that this training and sensitization will change the perception of the people, and the market users on how to manage and handle waste.
