World Disaster Reduction Day observed in Mfantseman

The Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies have been urged to enact laws that would compel owners of dilapidated structures to pull them down to avert disasters. Mr David Honarius Mensah, Central Regional National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Coordinator, who made the call, said some structures in the communities were so dilapidated and in dangerous conditions that human beings should not occupy them. The assemblies must compel owners of such buildings to demolish them before any disaster struck. Mr Mensah was addressing a durbar, at Abeadze Kyeakor, in the Mfantseman Municipality, in connection with the celebration of World Disaster Reduction Day. He urged the assemblies to support (NADMO) in embarking on sustainable public education on disaster management, since it has been realized that majority of disasters were man-made. Mr Mensah appealed to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs), Ministers and other government functionaries to include disaster management in their speeches to the public. He called on the assemblies to support NADMO to put in place vibrant Disaster Volunteer Groups (DVGs) to assist the communities in disaster management. Mr Samuel Adabo, Municipal Chief Fire Officer urged the assemblies to compel every Landlord in the area to have a fire extinguisher in their houses. He said fire officers would be going from house-to-house to educate the people on how to use extinguishers to fight fire. Chief Fire Officer Adabo appealed to people, who use gas fore cooking, to educate their dependants on how to use it safely. He advised users of gas cylinders to keep it outside their kitchens. Mr Henry Kweku Hayfron, Municipal Chief Executive, appealed to the Ghana Education Service, to include disaster management in the curricular of basic schools and tertiary institutions. He appealed to estate developers to engage qualified and competent electricians to do their electrical installations. Superintendent Emmanuel Narh Oscar Odonkoh, District Police Commander appealed to Ghanaians to take their security seriously and must not leave it to the police and security agencies alone. The Police Commander advised the communities to form watchdog committees to support the police in checking crimes, but cautioned that people selected to form the committees were well screened, to ensure that genuine and committed people are chosen. Mr Raphael Quansah, Municipal NADMO Coordinator cautioned farmers and hunters against the use of fires, especially during the dry season and appealed to market women to be careful in how they use fires in the markets.