The Assistant Chief Disaster Control Officer (ACDCO) in charge of National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) at the Akuapem South Municipal Assembly (ASMA) has indicated that his outfit is not a milking cow.
According to ACDCO Backman Akuffo, Ghanaians have thrown safety and fire precaution measures to the dogs, hoping that in an event of disaster, NADMO would step in to provide them with materials.
He explained that, though the mandate of (NADMO) includes all activities, from preparedness to response and recovery, prevent disasters, create awareness in disaster-prone communities and institutions on all hazard/disaster types, train and motivate the communities, the organisation cannot totally ameliorate the plight of the people in case of any disaster.
“Most Ghanaian have considered NADMO to be a milking cow where eventuality happens and then they rush to you so that you provide them with rice, oil and soap among others, and when you are not forthcoming they will say either you are smuggling the items or using them for political expediency”, he stressed.
He continued that: “these are the things that are having a serious dent on the organisation. NADMO can never say we are not going to manage disasters and provide relief items to affected people. But the people should know that they have a responsibility to be caretakers of themselves when it comes to the safety of their homes and other places.”
He made these remarks in an interview with The Chronicle last Friday, shortly after the annual stakeholder review meeting organised by the ASMA, in an effort to interact, brainstorm and collectively have a comprehensive development plan for the area.
Akuffo stressed that the little or no sense of urgency to ensure safety precautions at home and other places have placed unnecessary logistical and human resource pressure on the organization.
ACDCO Backman Akuffo continued that NADMO would only give any affected person or group of people with the little materials available at the disposal of the organisation, but would not re-build any apartment or building if there was a disaster.
He has, therefore, charged the general public to be masters of their own safety, since that would help to prevent any possible disaster.
On challenges confronting the organisation, the Akuapem South Municipal Director of NADMO disclosed that the issues of relief items are major concerns to his outfit and immediately launched a passionate appeal to other bodies to support the organisation.
On the issue of human resource, he noted that if the current work force is increased, it would go a long way to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operation in the municipality.
At the annual stakeholder review meeting, Mrs. Lydia Akweteh, the Municipal Coordinating Director mentioned that the Assembly has adopted the exercise in order to inform the general public about the roles of the various departments in the Assembly.
She described the meeting as largely successful even though some community based organisations who were invited did not show up for reasons which were not readily available as at the time of filing this report.
To her, the meeting has helped to disabuse some perceptions the general public has about the roles of the various departments and the Assembly in general.
On Internal Generated Funds (IGF), the Coordinator called on constituents of the municipality to pay their property rates since that is the only major source of income generation for the Assembly.
She affirmed that property rates are one of the factors that can help provide the municipality with a reasonable and reliable income that can be used to improve the local community.
The post NADMO is not milking cow –Director appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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