About Honourable Ousman Sillah- Founder/Chairman Crab Island TVET Foundation
Ousman Sillah by the open canal behind National Library in Banjul clogged by uncollected waste and undergrowth.
OUSMAN SILLAH VISITS TOBACCO ROAD FLOOD VICTIMS: IN A BID TO EMPATHISE AND ASSESS IMPACT.
Ousman Sillah, former National Assembly Member for Banjul North, on Thursday 18 August,
2022, visited the residents of the outlying settlement of Tobacco Road in Banjul that was hard hit by the recent flash flooding which occurred almost a fortnight ago to assess its impact and attendant challenges.
Talking to the residents in some of the compounds visited in the area, the former Banjul NAM said, although he is no longer their elected representative, he nonetheless felt obliged to come and express genuine concern and solidarity in this time of difficulty and distress caused by the
inundation.
“I am coming here to commiserate and empathise with you and to also hear your concerns as well as assess the extent of the disaster in the aftermath of the flooding and see what one can do in terms of exploring possibilities”, he added.
Mr. Sillah indicated that this is the second year in a row that the settlement of Tobacco Road bordering the other side of Banjul and the outlying swamps is experiencing inundation of water into its streets and homes.
“The same flooding occurred last year (2021) when I was the serving National Assembly Member for Banjul North Constituency where Campama Estate or Tobacco Road is situated but that this time around it is worst. In the previous one, the inundation affected only the compounds on the periphery or along the open canal that partly runs around the settlement. For this year, it is almost everywhere that got affected,” said the former lawmaker.
Campama Estate or Tobacco Road is situated but that this time around it is worst. In the previous one, the inundation affected only the compounds on the periphery or along the open canal that partly runs around the settlement. For this year, it is almost everywhere that got affected,” said the former lawmaker. He said it was revealed to him during the visit that many tenants have abandoned their inundated houses and relocated, albeit, reluctantly to the Kombos or other parts of the city whilst some were housed temporarily at the nearby schools. He added that the floodwaters have destroyed many household belongings, including furniture, mattresses, foodstuff, clothing, personal effects, etc. According to the residents, they had been experiencing difficult days and nights when no one could venture outside of your house or compound without plunging into dirty water. Some families are recovering and slowly picking up from the devastation caused by the water that has now receded from the streets and compounds.
“It was a real nightmare during those difficult days and nights when we had to stay inside the filthy water that entered our sitting rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and toilets,” said Mariama Gassama, one of the victims, who briefly relocated to the Kombos but have now returned after the water has cleared from their compound. She said they could not cook for days as the floodwaters have claimed every part of their compound thus forcing all of them to relocate. “I became very sick because of the overbearing stench of the filthy water inside our compounds and bedrooms that come from the open canal and sewage,” she added. One Mr. Badjie explained that he was lucky that his house was spared during the flooding because it is a little above the water level inside their compound but added that he and his family dared not to venture outside as everywhere around was full of water. “I was very worried with the children coming into contact with the dirty water which can cause an outbreak of disease as many of them were out and about roaming and playing in the streets as there is nowhere for them to go,” he lamented. He admitted that it was very scary. He said it was as if the sea or River Gambia has transferred to Tobacco Road as they could see ‘Tallapia’ fish, commonly called ‘Wass’, swimming everywhere and even inside their compounds. Aji Fatou, a landlady, who depends on the rent from tenants for her livelihood, expressed despair as all of them have relocated to the Kombos thus depriving her of such needed income.
Commenting on the response by government agencies, some women beneficiaries expressed their appreciation for having received rice, sugar and cooking oil from the National Disaster Relief Agency (NDMA). According to them, some young people came to their compounds and recorded their details and contacts and after which they received a telephone call to go and collect the foodstuff at Tesito or Alhaji Dawda Corr Street where the distribution was taking place. Some of the residents have also indicated that their details were recorded but are not called yet to collect foodstuff. However, many have also claimed that they have not seen anybody coming to their compounds to collect information for the purpose of providing them with relief. According to some, they have seen groups coming to their streets but skipping their compounds.
This visit, according to Mr. Sillah, is partly prompted by the interest expressed by some well-meaning personalities who are willing to contribute towards any relief effort to be undertaken by him for the victims of the inundation in Banjul North Constituency.
“I am not promising anything, but your concerns and challenges will be relayed to the appropriate government authorities for redress and I am also ready to serve as a channel for any support,” he said.
The message of the former Banjul North Representative to the residents was that flash flooding resulting from a heavy downpour of rain or the overflowing of water from the sea or river on to the land, is a natural phenomenon. However, he argued that the devastating consequences of the recent inundation affecting some parts of Banjul, especially Tobacco Road, is largely man made. He cited the challenges posed by the nature of the sewage in terms of the underground pipes, the lack of adequate drains or waterways along the streets and the clogged gutters and open canals impeding the flow of water as some of the man-made factors responsible for the inundation. Mr. Sillah said during last year’s inundation when he was the sitting NAM for Banjul North, his first move was to be on the ground to assess the extent of the inundation by visiting every affected compound in Tobacco Road.
“While at the place, I immediately started informing and mobilising for action the responsible authorities namely the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Contractor of Banjul Roads Construction Project, Managing Director of NaWEC (Sewerage) as well as the Gambia Red Cross Society (GRCS),” said the former NAM for Banjul North. “I then visited Bund Polder Station or ‘Pa Machine’ at Bund Road with the engineers from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure together with the consultant of the Banjul roads construction project and the representative of the contractor of the project which resulted in the immediate repairs and operation of the second pumping machine to pump the water from the swamps on the side of Banjul into the river Gambia,” said Mr. Sillah. He added,
“Immediately following the visit, I issued a Press Release indicating all that I have gone through as well as outlining the challenges and the appropriate steps or possible actions to be undertaken by the respective stakeholders.” Mr. Sillah said it is not a time for engaging in a blame game but for the main actors to undertake the urgent and appropriate actions to address “definitively this not so complex a problem”.` He noted that although the effect of climate change is also a factor but that diagnostic studies and recommendations exist on how to address the physical challenges and threat facing Banjul, which is below sea level. The former National Assembly Member for Banjul North said the responsible parties or duty bearers, namely the Central Government and the Banjul City Council (BCC), must rise to the occasion, assume their responsibilities, and discharge their core mandates to the fullest
“The role of the Government is to ensure the successful implementation and completion of the construction and rehabilitation works of the sewage, drainage and roads in Banjul; the Banjul City Council (BCC) should keep the city clean by ensuring the regular collection and disposal of waste and cleaning of the gutters and canals to avoid clogging as well as public sensitisation,” he said. “It was my plan when re-elected to continue urging and engaging the government to construct the open canal that runs from Box Bar Road to the Bund Polder Station to enable the easy flow of water and which will solve part of the problem of inundation. This is also predicate on ensuring that the BCC establishes an efficient and well remunerated work force to be regularly cleaning the streets and gutters to avoid them being transformed into garbage dumps as the case is now,” he emphasised. Another challenge, added Mr. Sillah, which exacerbates the problem, is the reclaiming of part of the swamps or Tan Bi wetland, a natural reservoir, by compound owners, garages and businesses and companies stretching from the Tobacco Road end up to Hopkinson Street, Malfa/Windley area and along the Bund Road. “The responsible authorities should put a stop to the further reclaiming of the swamps for whatever purpose,” he concluded.
Let us go forward in this battle fortified by conviction that those who labour in the service of a great and good cause will never fail.
Ousman Sillah, Chairperson of Crab Island TVET Foundation and former Banjul North National Assembly Member, with Essa Bah on West Coast Radio’s Coffee Time with Peter Gomez, on his participation in the recently concluded 2022 ATUPA Conference at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (29 August 2 September), and the way forward for TVET education in the Gambia(14 September, 2022).👇🏿
Ousman Sillah, Former Banjul North NAM and Chairperson of Crab Island TVET Foundation, with Sainabou Tamba of Teranga FM, on the essence and outcome of his recent participation in the 2022 ATUPA Conference at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (29 August 2 September), and importance of TVET for the development of Gambia and Africa (13 September, 2022).
https://youtu.be/VjZdmmUFyrchttps://youtu.be/e-jxytrJSV0https://youtu.be/Qv8TdgQpA-Yhttps://youtu.be/QrYzr8gbk7Yhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chlzoYGalREhttps://citvetgambia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Audio-2022-09-16-at-12.56.55.mp3