By Hatab Nyang
Seven youths from Gunjur Sambuya and the satellite areas have mounted a blockade for the trucks not to enter Gunjur Sand mining area commencing after working hours Tuesday, 18th June 2019.
GYA wrote letters endorsed by the VDC and the Alkalo of Gunjur to 7 departments last week complaining about the adverse effect of the sand mining that is taken place in Gunjur Sambuya. They threatened that if they don’t intervene quickly they are going to stop it themselves.
The said mining area has been negotiated and bought from a Clan in Gunjur called Konoto Kabilo by the mining company called Unity Mining.
The complaint of the youths is that the mining has gone off limit. The mines are close to the sea and they are destroying the women’s gardens too and some private properties such as fences.
Musa Manjang the PRO of GYA told Foroyaa the operation has begun on Tuesday evening to make sure that no sand mining to take place in Gunjur Sambuya. He said they will stay at the mining area both day and night until their demands are met. They are expecting youths from Gunjur Sambuya and the satellite areas.
Habby Njie a woman gardener in Sambuyang Village said mining in the area is destroys their gardens, which they rely on for sustenance, including payment of school fees for their children. She said upon the commencement of mining in their vicinity she went to the mining company for negotiations but into no avail as they got no compensation and their lives are right now in a dilemma. She said she went to them many times to seek for compensation but all they said is that they found no trees in her garden. She concluded that the lack of a garden resulted to loss of income while her two kids attending grades 9 and 10 respectively have to stop going to school due to lack of payment of fees.
Aminata Keita daughter of Habby Njie said she had stopped going to school at Brufut Upper Basic Senior Secondary School at grade 10 because of the mining in her mother’s garden without any compensation. She said her mom was paying her school fees from income derived from her garden.
