GPA Hopeful To Build New Ferry Landers For Barra Banjul / Barra Crossing Points

Photo: Mr. Hali Abdoulie Gaye Addressing the press

By Ousman A. Marong

The Management teams of The Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) are hopeful to build new ferry landers for the Barra/Banjul ferry landing sites.

Mr. Hali Abdoulie Cham, The Deputy Director of The Gambia Ferry Services (GFS), has revealed that procurement to established new ferry landing sites between Barra/Banjul has already been attained.

“The GPA Management is working very hard to procure new landers from damming to start the operation. We already have the landers and the winches in place. They have already arrived at the Ports but the only impediment is the COVID-19,” Hali Gaye told News Bite Gambia.

According to him, under normal circumstances the replacement of the old ferry landing sides should have been completed in April.

“All the borders across the globe are closed and our teams of engineers who are supposed to do the replacement is still in the Netherlands because there are no flights from the Netherlands,” he said.

He made these disclosures yesterday while addressing the media on way forward for the two ferry landing sites.  

Gaye has commended the tireless efforts of the government to ensure that operations start in earnest at the ferry services.

“If we start work, operations between Banjul and Barra ferry services will be close for a month and we did not want to create any inconvenience as the “Tobaski” is fast approaching that will cause difficulties at the two ferry crossing points. We are currently working with our counterparts in Damming and suppose they cannot come then we will start the work in August,” said Deputy Director Gaye.

Mr. Gage further revealed that the two landers are made up of wenches and manual. He said a sum of One Hundred and Forty Thousand Euro €140, 000, has been budgeted for the rehabilitation.

“Our technical team is currently engaged in damming which is the fabrication of the counterweight to access points and they are doing a lot of civil engineering work. The engineers are from Damming and are already here. There’s no time to waste. There would be an inconvenience as to when we start the work but the Senegambia bridge will be open for easy accessing of passengers;” he remarked. 

Omar Ndure, a Master Dragger from Senegal praised the quality of his company (NSMTP) work, saying the company has been working on the dragging system within the sub-region. He said the dragging system in the Barra landing side would be of good quality and its work process would be faster.

Meanwhile, the distance between Barra/ Banjul ferry is 8 nautical miles. 

Brikama South MP receives prestigious Global Humanitarian Award

Photo: The Prestigious Award

The Member of Parliament for Brikama South, Hon. Lamin J. Sanneh was Sunday awarded with the prestigious Global Humanitarian Award by the World Humanitarian Drive (WHD) for his “selfless contribution to humanity”.

WHD is a global organization that promotes humanity towards peace, understanding, and harmony, and inspires people to promote peace through all available positive mediums such as education, sports, arts, trade, and media around the world.

At a virtual ceremony Sunday, WHD recognised one hundred people across the world, including Honourable Sanneh dubbed Stars of Covid, for their contributions in the fight against Covid 19. WHD founder Dr. Abdul Basit Syed

 “STARS OF COVID”, is considered as part of an initiative by WHD founder Dr. Abdul Basit Syed said the award was to show gratitude and honour courageous volunteers contributing to the betterment of humanity, especially during this crisis of Covid-19.

“We decided to appreciate those unsung heroes of humanity and bring them to the limelight. We often forget to say thank you or acknowledge those who have always been contributing to the betterment of humanity especially during this crisis of COVID-19”, he said.

Photo: Honorable Ceesay with a Philanthropists

Since the outbreak of the Covid 19, Honourable Sanneh, a social worker for many years has been leading the fight against the pandemic in his constituency, using community-based initiatives to sensitize and empower his people against it.

This year, WHD received more than 1,600 nominations from all seven continents and 52 countries. The shortlist of the award includes 550 projects. 100 projects from 35 countries, including nominees from Russia, India, and South Africa, are shortlisted. Winners were awarded in twelve categories including Excellence in Medical Service, Education, and Research, Politics, Public Service, Media Service, Business, Innovation, and Research, Social Welfare, Nature Preservation, Charity, Social Work, and Entertainment Service.

Reacting to the award, Honorable Sanneh expressed great pleasure and honor to be among the winners of the Global Humanitarian Awards from World Humanitarian Drive.

“On my own behalf, my entire family, my constituency Brikama South and the Gambia at large, I want to sincerely thank World Humanitarian Drive for the gesture and the initiative,  I, therefore, challenge sister institutions around the world to emulate (WHD). The gesture is encouraging me more and it is also increasing my commitment yawning for more Awards in the future.

Photo: Donated Items

Since declaration of covid 19 as a Global pandemic by WHO, my institution the National Assembly of The Gambia declared a State of Public Emergency after which I was involved in numerous activities as a containment strategy of covid 19 ranging from radio sensitization, provision of sanitizers, face masks, hand washing materials and closure of our borders as my constituency is a border community.”

The award ceremony is scheduled to take place later this year at a location to be determined by the WHD. https://youtu.be/ZTbrO8wfr40

Gambia: Agritech Enterprise Donate 2000 Face masks to Farmers

Photo: Mr. Gassama and delegation.

 By Mamadou Edrisa Njie

A Gambian-own Enterprise locally dubbed Agritech Enterprise has on Thursday 5 June 2020, joined the ongoing crusade against in the distribution of face masks admits the Novel Coronavirus virus also is known as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agritech Enterprise is a Gambian-own registered business enterprise specializing in supplying different types of farming machinery.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Agrictech Enterprise have taken it upon themselves to donate 2000 face masks to the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project (Nema).

The onward distribution was part of Nema’s support to beneficiary community farmers as part of humanitarian efforts.

The protective items were handed over to Mr. Momodou L. Gassama, Director Nema Project.

Gassama lauded the benefactors for the gesture while promising to distribute the face masks as agreed.  

He adduced his office cordial working relationship with Agrictech Enterprise in which he described to be the service provider for the project.

“Agritech Enterprise is serving as the provider for the project.  The project has been effectively working with us for the past years. They have honored and respect all the agreements we have signed with them,” he said.

He hailed Agritech Enterprise on their timely intervention in the donation of face masks to rural farmers.

“Farmers in rural areas needed face masks the most as it will help them to prevent themselves from COVID-19. With the help of these face masks, farmers can now work in their farms conductively.

He opined that the only way to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic is that community farmers need to protect themselves with the donated face masks while at work.

On his part, Mr. Mohammed Kora, Proprietor of Agritech said: “the donation made to Nema project is geared towards protecting the lives and live hoods of beneficiary farmers.”

He said Agritech is here to support the Gambian farmers so that they can improve in their farming activities.

He promised his company’s continued plowing back to Gambians particularly to farmers.

He highlighted the areas in which his company deals activities is centered on to be agro-machinery, agricultural inputs-fertilizer, seeds, and farming tools.

“We have this year added in the services of general construction, drilling of boreholes sola installation, fencing of gardens, construction of cattle troughs and construction of garden storage facilities,” he listed.

  

He added: “Today is another great day in the annals of my company’s history, because we are plowing back to society.”

He commended the Ministry of Agriculture and Nema project in their fruitful partnership and cooperation.

Lamin Badjie, Programme Manager, Agritech Enterprise, said the donation was geared toward contributing their quarter nation-building.

“The distribution of these face masks to our beneficiary community farmers is intended to remember them. We cannot afford to forget them in this trying time of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he concluded.