Speaking at a well attended meeting held at Sandu Darsilameh, Minister Bah said: “I have personally lost 50 cattle this year. I was just talking to a cattle owner in the area and he claimed to have lost 50 cattle in just one week.”
He warned that the rampant bush burning in the area and the country at large must stop. “I have discussed with the minister of Agriculture and the minister of Environment about these issues. We have agreed to go on a nationwide tour and meet with regional authorities with a view to discuss with them on the menace.”
Minister Bah added: “There are laws in place with regard to people found wanting on burning the bush. However, regional authorities including chiefs and alkalolu are not implementing these laws. People are burning the bush and nothing is happening to them. This has to stop,” he warned.
“Anyone who is caught burning the bush will face the full consequences of the law. The ‘maslaha’ syndrome must stop. Even if the cattle have enough water to drink, if there is no food, they have to die. We will not allow this to continue. We will not allow our cattle to migrate to Senegal just as a result of our forest being burned.”
The Local Government Minister urged the district chiefs to fully implement the law. “Now we will be monitoring the issues so much. The regional governors should monitor the district chiefs and the district chiefs should equally monitor the alkalolu. Whoever is found not to be doing his work, the individual will face the full force of the law,” he cautioned.
The Minister for Agriculture, Demba Sabally, highlighted the numerous support his ministry has given to farmers in the area and the region at large, while announcing that seven gardens will be constructed in the region.
According to him, nine individuals in the area have benefited from matching grants with each receiving over three hundred thousand dalasis meant to support to enhance their production.
“I am aware of the problems about the rice fields in this area. However, I can assure you that we are currently working with our partners to ensure that it becomes the thing of the past.”
“It’s also important that you all desist from bush burning as it greatly affects livestock in this area. It’s also important that farmers in the area stop cultivating in cattle tracks in order to allow cattle to go about their normal grazing.”
Just like previous meetings since the commencement of the tour, local dwellers called on the president and his government to address some of the issues affecting them including water shortage, insufficient ambulances for health facilities; few nurses in some community health posts and lack of good roads among others.
Ebrima Jaiteh, the National Assembly Member for the area, said: “Still now there are many communities within the area that are still struggling in terms of accessing good roads. He claimed that 80 to 85% of the villages in Sandu are off-the-road and most of these communities are hard to reach due to the bad condition of the roads.
“Therefore, we want the president to help us construct these roads, especially the one starting from Darsilameh to Nawdeh. We equally want the government to also help them and construct the road starting from Sutukonding to Darsilameh junction and to Sare Ngai.”
The president and the delegation also visited a watering facility at Sare Sillereh village funded by the government of The Gambia and the Islamic Development Bank. Officials said 20 of that kind of facility are being constructed in other places within the country.
In the same village, the president also toured a fattening centre meant to support farmers, especially young people who are involved in fattening. Officials said the government through its partners is constructing 60 centers across the country.
Still on his engagement in the northern part of URR, the president also visited a Green Mini Grids project at Sare Demba Toro village in the Sandu District of URR.
