By Tabora Bojang
The Gunjur Environment Concern Group has called on the Gambia government to invite an independent expert to conduct a compressive eco-toxicological assessment of the effects of Golden Lead’s activities.
The activists made this call at a recent press briefing at the Tango office in Fajara where they also revealed that an assessment made by the community of Gunjur conducted in Germany seems to contradict the water quality assessment report of the National Environment Agency, NEA.
The NEA had earlier said analysis results of their eco-toxicological assessment showed no evidence of toxic materials in the samples of wastes taken from the factory.
”However we as concerned citizens of Gunjur conducted our own assessment in Germany and the result we got is not positive. Therefore, we are challenging the ministry and the NEA to share their results with the community and the people responsible so that we can have a transparent system pertaining to the activities of the Golden Lead,” Lamin Jassey, the PRO of the organisation stated.
Jassey further said the Environment Minister’s claim that all the processes pertaining to the assessment were supported by the Golden Lead is unconvincing and has raised more skepticism, since the factory was found wanting in breach of the law.
According to Kemo Fatty, Director Green Up Gambia “the NEA did not officially or publicly release the results of their findings as the community of Gunjur have done and the question now is who is wrong and who is right?”
He said the most effective way of determining this is to invite an independent expert to carefully compare and contrast the two reports and come with recommendations to the best interest of the human and ecosystem health.
