By Kebba Ansu Manneh
A renowned Gambian popular musician, Lamin Bah, alias Egalitarian has pointed his fingers to the Ministry of Finance and Economics Affairs (MoFEA) for been responsible for the delay of the implementation of a US$325million (three hundred and twenty five million dollar) Moringa Biodiesel project which supposed to be launched by Continental Africa LLC in Kiang Karantaba, Lower River Region.
Maestro Bah, President of Continental Africa LLC a US based Company in Delaware expressed his frustrations and concerns over the delay of the project at a presser organised at Paradise Suite Hotel, Senegambia, where he disclosed his company’s desire to create 90, 000 jobs for the teeming Gambian population.
“As a company, we have done our part we have taken all the due processes for this company to be recommended in The Gambia. It passed through GIEPA, we met all the relevant authorities and has also passed through the Ministry of Fishery because is a fisheries project, it was review by the Director General who has given the go ahead,” Lamin Bah (Egalitarian) explained.
He added: “Back in 2018, my company sought for incorporation from the Ministry of Finance to come in and implement this project. We came in and had a meeting with the Permanent Secretary and a date was set for signing, but we are still waiting for that date to come to sign this $325 million Biodiesel Project.”
According to him, the presser was designed to let Gambian people know their concerns as to why this multi-million dollar project is yet to start. Adding that the project is entirely designed to mitigate migration and empower the Gambian people.
“During my meeting with His Excellency President Adama Barrow and then Secretary General, Ambassador Dawda Fadera, I did declared to them, if this project is an interest to Gambia, provide us with the necessary documents to implement this project. If need be, I should be taken to Mile-Two if the project failed as a human collateral, this is how I see this important project for Gambian people,” Egalitarian further revealed.
He went further on it that “we want to know why it took so long for this project to get approval,” while he dilated on significance of the project to the country.
According to the him the Moringa Biodiesel Intensive Farming PPP Project planned to cultivate thirty thousand (30, 000) hectares of land with hope to create 90,000 permanent jobs for the teeming Gambian populace. Lamin Bah, disclosed that Continental Africa LLC will construct a Biodiesel plant that will generate clean fuel without polluting or destroying the natural environment and landscape of the Gambia.
In addition to that, he said, with the project, they will also dig boreholes, irrigate lands, and establish beekeeping centers to increase crops yields. The project also, he added, have in plans to embark on mix-farming, established Aqua-ponics-integrated fish farms, build food processing factory, and even build schools, shopping center, hospital and housing for workers.