Commit part of Assemblies Common Fund to fight bushfire - CFO urges

Mr Edwin Ekow Blankson, Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), has asked the Local Government Ministry to compel the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies by legislation to commit part of their Common Fund towards the fight against bushfires.

He said this support was needed to mitigate the perennial bushfires, which continued to wreak havoc and destroyed the vegetative cover that served as wind breaks during heavy storms.

Mr Blankson made the request during a two-day visit to the Oti Region when he paid a courtesy call on Nana Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, the Regional Minister.

He said lack of funding had been identified as a cause of the perennial bushfires as the agencies tasked to oversee this issue lacked the financial wherewithal to confront the challenge.

The Chief Fire Officer advised personnel to continue to exhibit a high sense of discipline and loyalty to Management as it made efforts to ensure that the GNFS got to the same level with other Services in terms of condition of service and remuneration.

He urged them to eschew rumour mongering and work hard, creating more visibility for the Service.

Nana Owusu-Yeboa, was grateful to the CFO for the visit, and said the Service had been doing tremendous work in ensuring the safety of the people in the Region.

He said his outfit would continue to provide the necessary support to the Service in the Region, so it would be able to deliver effectively on its core mandate to the State.

Nana Kwaku Beyinor, Chief of Dambai and Nefahene of Chonke Traditional Area, appealed to the CFO to ensure that the Regional Fire Service was properly retooled to enable it discharge its duties effectively.

He appealed that the Service opened other offices in the rest of the Region's districts to make them combat ready and closer to the people.