Director NEA, Geology suspended for six over Faraba report

-

By Pa Modou Cham
The executive director of National Environment Agency (NEA) Momodou Suwareh and the geology department (GD) director Abdoulie M. Cham have been suspended for six months without salary, as a result of the Faraba Banta’s report.

These were revealed by the secretary general and head of civil service, at a press conference held in justice ministry, Banjul.
The Faraba report indicated that there was no proper environmental impact assessment conducted in the area to be mined as required by the law before the granting of the mining license to Julakay Ltd nor were there sufficient safeguards to ensure restoration of the mining area by Julakay ltd after completion of mining activities as required by the law.

It is said that both the NEA GD disregarded the concern of the Village Development Committee (VDC) and the villagers regarding the potential adverse effects of commercial mechanical sand mining might have on the environment and livihood, especially rice cultivation and gardens in the affected areas.

The report further highlighted that NEA and the GD did not clearly demarcate the mining area under the license granted to Julakay Ltd or communicate this demarcated to the VDC or the villagers.       

On 18th june 2018, there was a tense stand-off between the police intervention unit (PIU) and some residents of faraba banta village in the west cost region of the gambia, regarding sand mining activities in the village by Julakay Quarry and Mining Ltd, a private company.
The stand-off led to an eruption of violence between the said residents and PIU resulting in the deaths of three civilians, serious injuries to some civilians and PIU personnel, and the destruction of properties in the village.
In accordance with section 200 of the constitution of the republic of the gambia1997, and the commission of inquiry Act Cap 30:01 Vol 5 of the laws of the gambia, president Adama barrow established a commission of inquiry on 1st july 2018 to bring perpetrators into justice.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cuba Remembers Formalization of US Blockade 62 Years Ago

-
Image
  Havana, Feb 3 (Prensa Latina) The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez, recalled today the formalization, 62 years ago, of the blockade imposed by the United States on the island, which he described as genocidal. In his profile on the social network, it's ending. On February 3, 1962, then US President John F. Kennedy issued Proclamation 3447, which decreed a total “embargo” of trade against this Caribbean nation, with the justification of this country's rapprochement with the socialist community. Since then, the policy of encirclement and economic suffocation was consolidated as the central axis of the strategy aimed at restricting the legitimate right of Cubans to defend their sovereignty and forge an emancipatory project, alien to the domination of the United States. Such provisions limit the possibilities of economic development by hindering commercial relations with third countries, as well as banking-financial operations, curbing foreign investmen...
Read more

'Who to blame' movie premier slated

-
Image
By Elizabeth Cole One of the Gambia's talented filmmakers, who established Young Stars Movie Production have slated to premier another movie tittle 'Who To Blame' on March 6 at Pencha Mii hall. The production house that had started as a drama group in Brusubi, the Chief Executive Officer Modou Lamin Sowe said he was part of the founders and became the first president. He explained that they were inspired to form a movie production after shooting a movie tittle The Shadows of Our Culture' in Manduar, which brings lot of comments at home.   "That's the reason we decided to expand it instead being only for school drama thing." Mr. Sowe said the production was registered in June 2017 at National Center for Arts and Culture, which he became the CEO, saying they are now recommended. In turning the drama as movie production, he said his foreign movie director Mustapha Kamara alias Kayz was among the one th...
Read more