The National Disaster Management Organisation says a store manager who has been suspended following the donation of expired items to flood victims should have known that the items he released had gone bad.
Deputy Director General of NADMO Abu Ramadan said the items were under the care of the store manager and the onus lied on him to ensure that they were wholesome before any distribution.
Speaking on Joy FM’s news programme Newsnite, Mr Ramadan said “the items were in the custody of the store manager and it is his responsibility to ensure that every item that goes out of the store is of wholesome value.
“And if he could not supervise that, then in the interim he has been asked to step aside so that investigations are conducted,” he added.
Ali Sulemana was suspended earlier Wednesday for a probe into how some items meant for flood victims in the Upper West regional capital Wa turned out to be expired.
The items were donated by the Vice Presdient, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia during his tour of the municipality over the weekend where residents were trying to get their lives back after the spillage of the Bagri Dam left their homes and farms submerged in flood waters.
It turned out, however, that the bottles of cooking oil donated to the victims had expired.
Dr Bawumia donated the items on Saturday
A family was hospitalized after they consumed food cooked with the oil, Joy News’ Rafiq Salam reported at midday.
The situation has caused outrage in the Municipality with some calling on the vice president to apologise to the victims.
The Majority in Parliament said the vice president cannot be blamed for the development and that NADMO should have known the items had gone bad.
NADMO has taken the blame for the development and has started investigations into the issue with the suspension of Ali Sulemana.
Related: Expired NADMO items: MP accuses NPP of sabotaging Bawumia's presidential ambitions
The Regional NADMO Director, Isaac Seidu has also been queried to explain how the mishap occurred.
Ali Sulemana will, however, be reinstated if there are no adverse findings against him, Mr Ramadan said.
“If not, sanctions will be taken against him or any other person who is found culpable in this instance.”
The Deputy Director General says NADMO is embarrassed by the development which he believes will mask all the good work the Organisation has already done.
“It is unfortunate and we have apologised to the office of the vice president for all of this,” Mr Ramadan said
He assured that any person found liable will not go unpunished.
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