The ongoing anti-littering regulation awareness symposia organised by the National Environment Agency (NEA) in partnership with the Law Students Association of the Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI), have been strengthened with the Gambia College Students Union, being the latest group to be sensitised.

The symposia aim at building the capacity of the participants with regareds to the regulations and the role of the local authorities in the enforcement of the regulations. Speaking at the ceremony, held at The Gambia College auditorium last Thursday, Abubacarr Jallow, deputy registrar of The Gambia College, described the symposium as an essential tool to disseminate the concepts of the regulations.

He commended the GTTI law students for the initiative, observing that the move will lead to a healthy environment in the long run. He then challenged the students to be role models among their colleagues by adhering to the regulations and to also disseminate the information gained from the symposium to the grassroots.

Lamin J Gassama, president of the GTTI Law Students Association addressed the gathering on the need to be aware of the regulations, reminding them that ignorance of the law is no excuse. According to Gassama, NEA and the Judiciary are currently on the move to establish the anti-littering courts in Banjul, Kanifing and Brikama, where defaulters of the regulations will be prosecuted. “Section 6 of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) has empowered all local councils to develop regulations that will change the attitudes of the people towards the environment,” he said.

Samuel Gomez, a student from the Gambia College School of Public Health, observed that environmental sanitation is a responsibility for everyone. He told the gathering that they should not only rely on the waste management departments of the various councils for the collection and proper dumping of the waste products.

The discussions were followed by a questions-and-answers session where the majority of the participants recommended for the symposia to be extended to other regions of the country. Ebrima Bah, president of the Gambia College Student Union gave the vote of thanks.