By Nasratu Kargbo
The Estuary Resort located around John Obey which once had a beautiful river is now a muddy pond. According to the Proprietor of the Resort Abdul Karim Jalloh, this is due to man-made activities in the environment. As a result of this and many other destructive activities, the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs in tandem with the Sierra Leone Tourist Board and investors around the John Obey Community have conducted an assessment and held a meeting with the community people.
Standing on the muddy ground, which according to the proprietor of the Estuary Resort used to be a beautiful river, he explained that the people have drained the water into the ocean, which he said is “is very drastic”. He explained that the water level used to be at the depth of two meters which allowed the resort to provide boat ride services for its visitors. He mentioned that apart from the boat rides “the ambiance and scenery of the resort has changed” and reiterated that the activities of members of the community have impacted his business negatively.
Jalloh explained that the concept of the resort surrounds ecotourism, highlighting that the resort has combined the beautiful river, trees, and sandbank, to create a natural atmosphere for visitors.
“I took the matter to the Tourism Ministry which is the sector head of our activities,” said the proprietor. He added that the impact of these man-made activities does not only affect the revenue he generates but the country as a whole, noting such may discourage investors from investing.
When asked what could be the reason for such activities knowing fully well that the resort will be affected, Jalloh said he cannot say much on that, but spoke of having rumours that it is sabotage, whilst others say land grabbers want to claim nearby lands and could only do so when the water is drained.
The General Manager for the Sierra Leone Tourism Board, Fatmata Keru during the community engagement told members of the community that: “We are not here to fight for a specific institution, but to fight for tourism”. She noted that these harmful activities would disturb private sector investment.
She highlighted that deforestation; banking waters amongst others have affected tourism facilities around the Black Johnson and John Obey Communities. Keru called on the community people to work with investors, stating that they have an integral role to play in tourism development.
The Director at the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Mohamed Jalloh explained the benefits of tourism and Estuary in that area, listing employment, revenue generation, attracting tourists as some of the benefits of such facilities to the country.
He appealed to the Headman of the community to monitor the environment and report to the ministry from time to time, stating that the ministry cannot do the work alone.
The Headman for the Black Johnson Community, Hassan Marrah expressed delight and explained the challenges he has encountered with members of the community as a result of maintaining the forest reserves.
He pledged his support to help the tourism sector and added that he will make sure to relay the message to the Black Johnson Community.
Marrah appealed with the Ministry and its Stakeholders to visit the community on a regular basis to educate and engage members of the community on how to take care of the environment. He added that an investigation will be conducted to find out those that are responsible for draining the river.
Abraham Sesay a member of the community spoke of the negative impact such activities will have on their health including Malaria, Cholera amongst others.
He suggested that a task force be created that will be charged with the responsibility of protecting tourism sites. He added that they should create bye-laws that will govern them.
Estuary Resort is located 26 miles south of central Freetown. The village is renowned for its historic contribution to the fight and abolition of the Slave Trade and the unrivalled resilience of its inhabitants. John Obey beach forms part of the beautiful white sandy beaches that stretches from Aberdeen, Lumley, Levuma, Lakka, Hamilton, Sussex, Baw-Baw, River No.2, Tokeh, York, and finally John Obey.
Sierra Leone is a beautiful country with hills, valleys, bars, and lagoons, sounds harmony, and enriched cultural combination which brings you closer to everyday life, with a true feel of nature, as a variety of birds chirp signals of leisure and friendly chimpanzees hoot your welcome.
However, the country has not been able to attract many tourists, until recently when the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and other partners took a number of measures including identifying the touristic sites across the country, visa on arrival policy, among other things in a bid to attract more tourists.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (14/01/22)
