Monkey Park is a gazetted wildlife area from 1952. Which means it’s part of those national heritages that are to be preserved for the continuity of our flora and fauna.
But of recent there have been attempts to destroy it for the building of a five star hotel. This ensued a wild outcry from environmentalists and ordinary citizens alike which eventually forced the government to stall activities on the site.
Since then there have been a deadening silence around it. However there have been speculations that the initial intent of building the hotel will continue even after the government issued a press release assuring the general public that no such thing is going to happen. We ask the government to come forth and tell the people what the plans are from this time on.
We are living in a time marked by an impending climate apocalypse due to the ongoing destruction of the planet by corporate greed. The continuous assault on the environment and all that’s deem to be nature’s boon is constantly being pillaged and used for profit to feed the insatiable appetite of multi-national corporations.
The Gambia being a country surrounded by the high oceans of the Atlantic, whose levels continue to rise due to global warming, should be even more vigilant in promoting an eco-friendly world. And what better way to do that than protecting green sites?
Mr. President, inasmuch as we want investors, we can’t risk the safety of our country nor jeopardise our natural heritage. We call on you to take steps and avert the tide of any form of environmental destruction.
Global disaster capitalism which doesn’t care for community or continuity should never be the marker of our new democracy. For in the fullness of time protecting the environment and the natural habitat is to protect our very own existence and to think otherwise is to betray posterity.
