In order to reduce the hazards of radiation in the country, the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority on Wednesday launched its “search and secure” operation at the Kroo Bay Community in Freetown.
Speaking at the official launch, the Chief Radiation Protection Officer, Josephus Khongo told community members that search teams will embark on retrieving radiation sources and keeping them at a safety level.
Khongo stated that radiation source, exists everywhere but the excessive and dangerous ones are normally found among scrap metals and at depository sites, and added that radiation source cannot be seen, neither heard or felt.
He noted that Kroo Bay Community was chosen as the venue for the launch mainly because it is surrounded with dumping sites and most people including children in the community, deal in scrap metals from which they unknowingly expose themselves to sicknesses, especially cancer.
He emphasized that the deposit of excessive radiation source in any environment, is hazardous to the health of people in such community and advised them to comply with the radiation search officials.
Also, the Chairman of the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Board Babatunde Karim emphasized the hazards of radiation, explaining that most children that are born faulty in the first world nations as a result of the nuclear weapons used during the world war.
Babatunde Karim noted that most of the mining companies who operate in the country before the war had abandoned their equipment, among which are sources of radiation which is dangerous to citizens.
He assured community members that the radiation search team does not intend to evacuate them and advised them to comply with the team.
During his official launch of the operation “search and secure,” the Deputy Minister of Energy, Martin Bash Kamara confirmed that government is strongly in support of the radiation search initiative as it prioritizes the welfare and safety of citizens.
Bash Kamara pledged his ministry’s collaboration with the Radiation Protection and Safety Authority to advocate for a safety keeping site of the discovered radiation sources.
The Chief of Kroo Bay Community, Pa Alimamy Kargbo Kabonpa commended the radiation search delegation for considering the community in the “life safety” initiative.
He noted that the community hosts over twelve thousand people for which the life safety initiative is very important, and assured a full compliance of community members.
By Keifa M. Jaward
August 1, 2013
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