Niani District Authority Holds AGM
Niani District Authority Holds AGM
12 January 2012
published by www.allafrica.com
Gambia — The Niani District Authority on Saturday January 7 held its traditional annual district meeting at Wassu village in CRR north. The meeting was attended by the Alkalolu, council of elders and women leaders and their discussion was centered on ways of combating bushfires, payment of rates and other issues.
The district Chief, Alhaji Pierre Bah called on the Alkalolu (village leaders) to get villagers to keep the environment clean so as to prevent malaria and fire disaster, among others. He urged and challenged the people of his district to make fire belts around their forest to protect them, while emphasising that bushfires could harm the forest products, the grazing of livestock and could also lead to wind erosion.
Chief Bah reiterated that protecting the forest against annual bushfires will help to improve the forest cover which will contribute to the protection of the soil against wind erosion and it will improve the rainfall percolation. He underscored the importance of timely payment of rates, noting that this will help the council to implement development projects, citing that the role of the council is to mobilize and utilize resources. He advised people of his district to forget about their political differences and come together in the interest of development.
The Alkalo of Sare Malaw, Batchy Jawo called on the village heads to help the council in the mobilisation of the rates to enable them to implement projects for the people. “Without paying rates on time, the area council will find it difficult to provide the social amenities requested by their communities,” he emphasised.
The Alkalolu of Kataba Omar and Njoben villages, Alhaji Abdou Ndow and Alhaji Baboucarr Jobe, both commended the people of Niani District for voting massively for President Jammeh in the November presidential election. They urged them to remain united behind the chief and the regional governor.
