NADMO staff urged to collaborate with MMDAs to prevent disasters

Fijai (W/R), Nov. 8, GNA—Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, Western Regional Minister and Chairman of the Regional Disaster Management Committee, on Thursday tasked staff of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) at the various districts to collaborate with the various assemblies to prevent disasters. He entreated the various district coordinators of NADMO to join district assemblies’ disaster management committees in order to offer suggestions that would help avoid preventable disasters. Mr. Aidoo gave the advice at a day’s durbar and training programme for staff of NADMO at Fijai in the Western Region. The event, afforded the workers the opportunity to evaluate their performance over the past years and equip them to manage and mitigate disasters and other emergencies. It also provided a platform for dialogue, conflict resolution and interaction between the staff and management of the organization. There were presentations on topics such as Disaster Management, Human Resource Management, Fire Prevention and formation of Regional NADMO Credit Union. The Regional Minister asked the district coordinators of NADMO to liaise with the Physical Planning Department of the various assemblies to monitor and curb unauthorized buildings on waterways, illegal erection of billboards and any other activity that has the tendency of causing havoc to the society. “District coordinators of NADMO must participate in assembly meetings and join disaster management committees so that you can proactively put mechanisms in place to forestall disasters,” he stressed. In his welcome address, the Regional Coordinator of NADMO, Mr. Japheth Baidoo, called for the strengthening of the Act that established NADMO so that it could institute sanctions against defaulters. He suggested that before a building permit would be issued for construction, NADMO must be consulted for technical advice on risk matters so that disaster could be prevented. Mr. Baidoo entreated the building Inspectorate Division of the various assemblies to be up-and-doing to avoid illegal structures and issuance of building permits to unqualified persons so as to prevent disasters. “I suggest that political heads that preside over the occurrence of disasters in their respective jurisdictions should be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others”, he added. NADMO awarded three students from the Ahantaman Girls’ Senior High School for participating in an essay competition during the International Day of Disaster Prevention instituted by the United Nations. The award recipients were Miss Belinda Ruth Quaicoe, Rhoda Eshun and Dorothy Owusu Mensah. GNA ... Read Full Story