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Momodou
Denmark
11823 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Dec 2009 : 14:13:18
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Daily News Editorial: National Cleaning Exercise Should Have A National Approach
It’s been a couple of years now since the National Cleansing Exercise was instituted; however the authorities have failed to get all on board willingly. The exercise has produced positive results as most health authorities confirmed that due to the cleansing exercise malaria cases have dropped sharply. That alone is a good result and if there words are anything to go by, Gambians and non Gambians alike living in the country should hold firm to the exercise.
The last exercise was one that seemed to produce the desired results as far as our observation is concerned. As far as the Tippa garage /Westfield junction is concerned, a lot of improvement was seen to be done. The road sides were very clean and looked attractive. I do not have doubt that many streets look the same. I am not saying that there are no exceptions, but more are better this time around than before. However more waste is yet to be collected in some parts, which is due to unavailability of enough vehicles.
However the whole approach to the national cleansing exercise needs to take a national outlook. The present approach is more of a partisan approach than a national one. When the exercise is on, one is only bound to see APRC militants, call them area councilors, chairpersons of administrative areas, elected APRC members, and the Yai Copins in full action. The vehicles are mostly under the control of these councilors and members of the NAMs, leaving the none members of the APRC deprived access to such privileges.
It is really disappointing to see on a cleansing day, shop keepers are forced to close their shops and other service providers also forced to stop whatever service they render to the community in the name of general cleansing exercise. Interestingly those shopkeepers would only close their shops but will not take any part in the exercise. Those other service provides will seize to provide the services but never take part in the cleansing exercise.
What one observes of late is the full participation of our young police and army recruits in the cleaning of our streets and other major high ways. And in some cases they are also assigned to act as vehicle controllers, either to make sure that the vehicles that volunteered to keep going fast to avoid any fuel misuse or to make others comply. You can find many youths and some fairly strongmen and women not taking any active part in the exercise. What that means is you can force me not to go about my normal movements but you cannot force me to take part in the exercise.
I think what is needed or better still what is lacking is proper sensitization on the importance of the exercise so that every one be it a Gambian or not takes ownership of the exercise and makes it national. If the department of State that is responsible of our environment could come up with another approach to the cleansing exercise that takes on board all, and leave out partisan approaches then this will become a very successful exercise.
There should be radio and televisions programmes at which panelists are invited irrespective of party affiliations. If a panel sits at the GRTS and its members are drawn from diverse sectors of our society, of course not leaving our different political parties and religions and sectors of the age brackets, then listeners and viewers will accept what ever messages are sent without reservations. I think that is what is lacking as far as this national cleaning exercise is concerned.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) should give the above a chance. The other thing is that the issue of force should not have any place for now. Until people take ownership force should be out of it. What force is bringing into this is one of a negative impact, People would say, yes I will close my shop but no one can get me participate in the exercise. The same thing goes for drivers, they will pack their vehicles until it is one o’clock, doing other things but cleaning.
Source: Daily News
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