City authorities urged to be proactive
Kumasi, June 12, Ghanadot/GNA
- Nana Oduro Frikyi, Former National Disaster Management
Organization (NADMO) Co-ordinator, has called on building
inspectors, engineers and city authorities to be proactive
in their monitoring and supervisory activities to help
reduce disasters.
He said there was the need for city authorities and other
stake holders to ensure that unauthorised structures on fire
hydrants and flood prone areas were demolished as stipulated
in their laws.
Nana Frikyi made the call when he chaired a forum organised
by the Kumasi Metropolitan Secretariat of NADMO in Kumasi.
The event was aimed at sensitising the general public on
rainstorm and fire disasters and was on the theme; “Disaster
Risk Reduction-Our Joint Obligation.”
Nana Frikyi attributed some of the causes of disasters to
the luke-warm attitude of stake holders and the general
public, saying that a change of attitude and behaviour could
help in disaster prevention.
He mentioned building in flood prone areas, farming along
river banks, cutting down trees and deliberately setting the
bush ablaze as some of the practices which needed to be
abated to prevent disasters.
Mr Benedict Asobayire, Ashanti Regional Operations Officer
of NADMO, said disaster management could be sustained only
with the full participation of all civil societies and
non-governmental organisations and urged the citizenry to
partner NADMO in their work.
A Disaster Volunteer Group (DVG) was also inaugurated to
help gear the campaign towards disaster prevention in the
country.
GNA
