Sierra Leone News: Lumley Beach is in Deplorable Condition

By Ibrahim Hashim

Lumley/Aberdeen Beach which is an iconic tourists destination at the capital, Freetown is in a deplorable condition as seaweeds and plastic waste have been washed ashore, covering the shiny sands.

.Michael Bangura, a security officer at the beach, said that the beach has been in this deplorable state for a long time, adding that nothing has been done about it. He added that the current state of the beach is as a result of people throwing thrash at the sea and using the beach as a dump site. He admonished people to stop throwing trash at the sea and using the beach as a dump.

Ishmael Mansaray, a Sierra Leonean who visits the country together with his wife who is a foreign national, said that he and his wife find it difficult to go out to exercise in the beach during the evening hours because of the current state of the beach.

He added that Lumley Beach is one of the places in the country where tourists and locals mostly spend their time.

“It will be good that the current deplorable condition of the beach is improved as soon as possible,” he said.

“One of our biggest trademarks as a nation is our beautiful beaches, and we should not allow trash and waste to destroy that image. That’s something we are capable of controlling,” Mansaray said, adding that the current state of the beach portrays a bad image about the country to visitors.

Kirsten Eller, a tourist, said that the deplorable condition of the beach will affect the tourism potential of the country. “Sierra Leone beaches have the potential to be the best in the world only if they are taken good care of,” she added.

Daniela John runs bar and restaurant at the beach. She said that the beach is in a deplorable state which is having adverse effect on her business. “As a result of the current condition of the beach, people do not come around to spend time as before, and that is seriously affecting business,” she said.

She called on the government and the Mayor of Freetown Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr to put measures in place in order to clean the beach as we are speedily approaching the tourist season.

“As the mayor and the Freetown City Council are already doing a good job by cleaning gutters, market places and communities in the capital, we are calling on her to focus attention on cleaning the Lumley Beach,” Daniela said.

National Tourist Board Sierra Leone (NTB) said earlier that they are strengthening beach cleaning exercise in over 11 beaches across the country including the Mahera Beach in Lungi.

The Planning and Development Manager of NTB, Umaru Woody Woody told Premier Newspaper that NTB has strengthened contractual agreement with waste management providers and volunteers to maintain beaches nationwide.

According to Woody, the NTB has engaged over hundred volunteers on contractual terms to manage and maintain the beauty of beaches across the country especially the Lumley/Aberdeen Beach.

He said that the Board has received funding from the government of Sierra Leone towards recruitment of more volunteers in the next six months to maintain not only the Lumley beaches but other coastal beaches including Mahera, adding that there are 55 employed workers among volunteers on government payroll to maintain the beaches on a daily basis and more effectively on monthly cleaning exercise.