Niamina East MP Omar Ceesay has again called on the government to reopen the lumo weekly market.
Gambian rural communities practice the lumo weekly market where farmers and businesspeople converged at a strategic community to sell their goods.
The government in its bid to stop coronavirus from spreading has since March this year put a ban on lumos.
Omar Ceesay the lawmaker for Niamina East has in the past months been calling for the lifting of the ban – and has now returned to again asked the government to undo the ban.
He said: “I will continue to amplify my voice for the sake of the helpless, voiceless, hopeless and needy people right at the rural Gambia for their source of survival and livelihoods to be reopen – the Lumos.
“In the rural Gambia, the Lumos are the major markets, where trading of goods and services take place effectively and Niamina East constituency, in particular, is blessed to have weekly Lumos in three villages namely Kudang on Mondays, Jarreng on Tuesdays and Mamut Fana on Sundays all of which are major source of income for our farmers.
“I still hold the view that if the major markets in the Kombos and Banjul have been reopened despite COVID-19 then the Lumos can equally be reopened despite COVID-19. Furthermore, if the Head of State and his supporters could disregard COVID-19 regulations/restrictions measures put in place to fight COVID19, then it’s about time we reconsider the plights of the vulnerable people by opening the Lumos.
“Similarly, farmers patiently waited since our COVID-19 first case was registered despite the challenges but now that time is up for them to sell their farm products. I will remind the Government that any day we spend more than necessary to reopen the Lumos, the more the Senegalese will continue to exploit our farmers by buying their farm products at a very cheap price. This is not good for our economy as well as the farmers.
“The rural people deserves to be treated fairly with the people of Kombo and the likes.
“I am calling on the provincial national assembly members to send an open letter of joint concern to the government for the reopening of our Lumos.”
