NADMO seeking legal backing to pull down unauthorized structures

Kumasi, Feb. 19, GNA- Nana Atakora Kodua, Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) has said that the organisation is lobbying government for a legislative backing to pull down unauthorized structures and houses built on water-ways. He said "we can stop the floods if we stop developing on water-ways and also shun the practice of dumping refuse in drains". Nana Kodua was addressing the Kumasi Diocese of the Association of Methodist Men's Fellowship as part of the programme of activities marking the special Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Fellowship at the Ahensan Mount Zion Methodist Church in Kumasi on Monday. The theme for the occasion was "Disaster relief in Ghana, the role of the church".

He said NADMO is to manage and control disaster or prevent their occurrence through public education. Nana Kodua said the major disaster that often occurred in the cities were mostly human-induced such as floods, domestic fires, industrial fires, pollution of water resources, dumping of refuse and liquid waste and sand-winning, which require an attitudinal change. He pointed out that life and the environment are threatened by the negative attitudes and conduct of the society and that NADMO feels that the proper management of disasters in the city would not be achieved if human-induced hazards are not stopped or controlled. Nana Kodua said the church has a religious responsibility towards Life and the environment since the two are the creation of God. He talked about the sacred nature of creation making every human including Christians dependent on the environment for survival and thus putting on them a responsibility for its growth and sustenance. Nana Kodua called on the church to assist in educating the public to change the negative attitude that often results in the creation of hazards to avoid disasters. Mr Asare Yeboah, Chairman of the Fellowship, called on the church to support the effort of NADMO to prevent the occurrence of disasters, since prevention pays. 19 Feb. 08