The monthly cleansing exercise dubbed Setsettal is indeed a good thing which is beneficial to the nation. Cleanliness is said to be next to godliness. Thus, it is important and should be embraced by all patriotic Gambians.
However, everything has a proper and appropriate way of doing. For the Setsettal to serve its purpose and be beneficial to the society, certain measures have to be put in place first.
Firstly, the Gambia being a democratic country, there are things we can do and things we cannot do. The citizens pay taxes to the municipalities to provide certain services of which cleaning the environment is an integral part. Thus, the citizens coming out to cleanse the environment can only be voluntary. It should not be imposed by force.
Secondly, there must be proper communication as to when and how the Setsettal will be conducted in each month. The previous Setsettal caused a lot of complaints as some didn’t know that businesses will remain open and that vehicles would continue to ply the roads. As a result, many people were inconvenienced. There must be timely and clear communication to prevent a lot of inconvenience.
Thirdly, there must be proper arrangements to dispose of the waste after the cleansing is done. If this is not done, people will clean their backyards and the rubbish will ultimately return into the houses or the streets. This will defeat the purpose of the exercise.
It is the duty of citizens of a country to participate in all activities geared towards developing the nation. Therefore, we call on all those concerned to participate in the cleansing exercise. Together we can build a better Gambia.
