By Yunus S Saliu
Towards the preparation for the celebration of the annual popular Banjul Cultural Festival ‘Eggereh,’ celebrating on 31st December through 1st January; the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MoTC) in its annual support to all regional cultural festivals Wednesday, dispensed the amount of D300,000.00 to nine hunting societies in Banjul.
The nine hunting societies included Ekun Baba Odeh Hunting Society; Odilleh Hunting Society; Gun Shot Hunting Society; Joluv Arts Banjul Cultural Festival; Rainbow Hunting Society; Omo Jesseh Odeh Hunting Society; Midlands Hunters Society; Mid East Hunting Society; and Banjul Cultural Committee Festival.
Speaking prior the presentation of the cheques to all nine hunting society representatives at the event, Honorable Hamat NK Bah, Minister of Tourism and Culture noted that under the government of President Adama Barrow “we believed that we cannot promote our country in the absence of arts and culture.” With believe, he said it is one of the reasons more resources were channeled towards it.
In recognition of important of the hunting society groups, Minister Bah said “we can only know where we are going if we nurture the past; maintain it and make sure we protect, preserve it and move forward with it. That’s reason we believed it is fundamental as government to also come and support you with this token gesture, to recognize what you are doing and also to give you the courage to be able to do more and work together in harmony for the promotion of our cultural diversity.”
Honorable Bah went further to encouraged all Gambians both at home and in Diaspora to support them morally and financially, especially, as their costumes and regalia for the celebration and performing are quite expensive for each of the hunting society group to bear alone.
The Minister added further that as a government we believe that our strength is in our diversity and that’s why we should always try to promote unity among ourselves and national reconciliations, which he emphasized to be the key and way forward for The Gambia because “we are a small country, interrelated, same in both religions, tribes and ethnic.”
He used the opportunity to dilate on the past supports to the cultural festivals throughout the country which his ministry has undertaken since he becomes the Minister of Tourism and Culture in 2017.
Mrs Cordu Linguire Jabang-Senghore, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Tourism and Culture disclosed that the initiative, for the third year running, has been spearheaded by the Honorable Minister of Tourism and culture, “which we continue to ensure that no matter what happens financial support is giving to cultural groups that hold festivals and hunting society groups within Banjul,” too.
She added that the dispensed D300,000.00 is meant for nine hunting society groups within Banjul City because “it is this period all over the world wherever Gambians are, it has become tradition that everybody that come over endeavour to attend Banjul festivity, as we all looking forward to it annually.”
She noted that the Banjul cultural Festival is something that has been sustainable in the sense that these cultural/hunting society groups have managed to get to where they are.
“That being the case we have seen the amount of diversity in term of performing and displaying of different costumes and we want to ensure as a Ministry that this cultural diversity is growing,” she stated.
In 2019, she said the Ministry of Tourism and Culture with initiative of the Minister Bah disbursed over D500,000 to 18 regional cultural groups not only in Banjul but across the country while in 2020 the Ministry also distributed D250,000 to 15 regional cultural festivals in the Gambia and “this year, 2021 in spite of all uncertainties which have been experienced we still make it a duty and ensure that we continue supporting this festivals based on this cultural hunting societies in Banjul and we are distributing an amount of D300,000 among 9 hunting society groups which means the financial support we are giving is getting better and better each year,” she announced.
Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) commended the MoTC, especially the Honorable Minister and the Permanent Secretary for the support giving annually to all the regional cultural festivals.
He noted that the support from the Ministry will help them in their preparation for the traditional Banjul Cultural Festivals.
DG Hassoum noted that Eggereh Festival is a longstanding old tradition in the society which is closer to sixty years.
In brief he said from 2017 the Ministry saw the need to strengthen traditional festival in Banjul so that it will become a landmark cultural event and in 2019 it was so successful that “we were all taken by surprise and despite the pandemic, in 2020 also it was very successful too and this year also we are looking forward to a very successful event as well.”
