Some streets
of Serekunda are still with piles of rubbish three days after the monthly
cleaning exercise locally call SET SETAL of February 2, 2008.The general cleaning exercise is an
idea from the President Yayah Jammeh, after the July 22 coup of 1994. This is
an exercise which is regularly done every last Saturday of the month. The
exercise of January 25 2008 was postponed due to the University convocation
ceremony and was done on February 2008.
The Media
Agenda’s Current Affairs roaming reporter went around finding out what the
people think about the cleaning exercise, and the after math which leaves more hips
of rubbish on the streets.
After twenty-five
tractors were purchased by the kanifing Municipal Council why is it taking them
too long to collect the rubbish on the streets? He first catch up with Lamin
Njie who said he resides along the kombo Sillah Drive who said it is always the
case that instead of cleaning their area it was only an opportunity for people
to pull out their rubbish and place in on the high way, only to be left there
un collected for days. He said after such an exercise no collection of their
rubbish is carried out by the local council. He went to say he cannot
understand why such hips should still be on the high way. This high way is one
that is a main link to
Sainabou Kah said
for her she is optimistic that the municipality will be clean; we only need to
give the newly elected local authorities’ time. She is of the opinion that to
some extend it is the people who should be blame. The way and manner people
dispose their disposal is just not acceptable.
Alieu Manneh said
the throwing of litters any where and any how will not help the situation. He
said yes equipment should be provided by councils for people to be able to
dispose responsibly, but the people should be ones to responsibly dispose their
refuges. The council needs to provide dustbins all over and then the bins
should be collected regularly by KMC.
For Ansumana
Kujabi, he said since the introduction of the monthly cleaning exercise there
is a rapid drop in the malaria burden. So people should keep it up. But he caution
government that the idea needs more sensitization rather imposition. The last
Saturdays are terrible for the poor because this are days and time when
emergencies that needed transport is always a problem. Since there are no
commercial transports it is always a problem to get one. That is concern for
government to look at.
A government
personal said under animosity that the people should begin to act responsibly
but government has a bigger role to play. He also subscribe to the issue of
sensitization rather than imposition. He felt that the issue of partisan should
be taken out of it; if we are to make any head way as the issue is more of
national than partisan. He calls on the local authorities to make maximum use
of the tractors.