By Yunus S Saliu
National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), on Wednesday, 9th November 2022 signed a $7,000 contract with Touray Kunda Construction Company for the re-construction of the submerged James Island Jetty in Juffureh, North Bank Region.
The old jetty was submerged by the torrential rains of 30th and 31st of July 2022 and it makes this prominent UNESCO World Heritage Site inaccessible to most of the visitors to the site.
Commenting on the signed contract for the reconstruction of the Kunta Kinteh Island jetty, Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of the National Centre for Arts and Culture reiterated that windstorm of July 31 2022 “destroyed the jetty landing at the Kunta Kinteh Island (former James Island), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And being a UNESCO World Heritage property we informed the Ministry and the NCAC board and also our stakeholders while a project proposal was developed and sent to the UNESCO for emergency funding.”
Luckily enough, DG Ceesay disclosed that UNESCO responded favourably and gave the National Centre for Arts and Culture US$7,000 for the reconstruction of a new jetty on the island.
He underscored the importance of the jetty to the island saying it facilitates access to the island and it is very important that’s why it becomes part and parcel of the island.
Now, “the NCAC has signed a contract with the same amount with the contractor, Touray Kunda Construction based in Niumi village to reconstruct a new jetty for the island within a period of one month,” DG Hassoum emphasized and noted that the new jetty will be wooden.
“It will be wooden because it has to be eco-friendly, it is a heritage site so whatever we do it is important for it to be friendly to the environment, it has always been like that,” he explained the criteria for the jetty.
Director General thanked UNESCO World Heritage Centre for their quick support and funding the reconstruction of the jetty.
