By Emil Gibba | 27 April 2024
Commendably, a group of youths in Gunjur who identified themselves as “Concern Sport Lovers of Gunjur” through series of meticulously calculated steps mounted an immeasurable pressure on Gambia Football Federation “GFF” to speed up work at Gunjur Nyamina Football Field; a six-months project that took six years and going beyond.
It’s unbelievable how the move of the concern sport lovers resonated with the rest of the community who came out in large numbers to meetings and clearing exercises that clearly wrote on the walls for GFF to read, that the construction at Nyamina Football Field should be completed as soon as possible, that the youth have had enough. Great move that tells what a united community can achieve.
However, it is disheartening to realise that, in Gunjur, there are similar started but never finished projects that need similar series of meticulously calculated steps to pressurise the contractor or whoever is in charge, to speed up the work, like with the football field, but as long as those projects are not sport related, they seem not to be a priority.
Which poses the question “Are there no “concern education lovers” in Gunjur?” Because the Gunjur Senior School project located at Gunjur Freetown that started 2018 and to be handed over in 2019 took 6 years already and going beyond, but no one in Gunjur seems to care, no one talks about it or asks questions, no one wishes to know the state of this project. Again I ask, “Are there no concern education lovers in Gunjur?”
Displeased with the state of the Nyamina Football Field, some of the youth of the community desperately suggested a contribution of D200 from each member of the Gunjur Sport Development Academy’s WhatsApp group; a group with a total of 871 members and I know this would have been extended to none members of the said WhatsApp group.
Thus, the suggestion would have raised a minimum of D174, 200 to speed up work at the football field. This is laudable, but how many people in Gunjur is aware that this year, the Gunjur Senior School, a project that is yet to be handed over to the school administration and the community, is most likely not going to conduct Home Economics, Biology and Chemistry practicals for its grade 12 candidates that are registered for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) because the labs of the school fall short of the requirements of West African Examination Council (WAEC)?.
Where are the concern education lovers? Where are the 871 residents of Gunjur who will be displeased with my revelations and willing to contribute D200 each towards equipping these labs to meet the requirements of WAEC or where are the 871 residents who would ask the right questions, who would mount the right amount of pressure on the contractor or whoever is in charge of the Gunjur Senior School Project so that all the labs are fully equipped, every incomplete project at the school be completed and the school be handed over to the community and school administration?
The school currently has an empty library, an empty computer lab and several empty Technical Vocational Training labs for woodwork, metal work, technical and mechanical drawing labs. It also have series of white elephant Science and Home Economics Labs not fit for purpose, not to even conduct a below standard experiment. Imagine having a microscope without a slide to place your specimen, no rain gauge, and barometer for ecological practical or experiment.
Similar to the Nyamina Football Field Project, one can’t tell whether equipping these labs is part of the project or not but where are the 871 to ask the right questions or equip and get these labs functioning?
Are there no concern education lovers in Gunjur, is it only sports that we value or is the ministry of education too educated to be questioned?
Are there no concern education lovers in Gunjur?