Ketu, Keta floods: Relief items not for sale – NADMO boss warns

The Director-General of the National Disaster and Management Organisation (NADMO), Eric Nana Prempeh-Agyemang, has been touring the areas affected by floods in the Ketu South and Keta Municipalities of the Volta Region.

The organisation has since begun the distribution of relief items to the flood victims.

Speaking on the sidelines of his tour of the affected communities, on Thursday, 15 June 2023, to Class 91.3 FM’s Volta Regional Correspondent, Kingsley Attitsogbui, the NADMO Director-General explained that: “It’s not like what happened last year but it’s not normal. NADMO staff from the region and municipality were to do search and rescue and assessment. After that, I had a report and headquarters has to come in to support them.

“We’ve been here with some relief items to be presented to them later, some are on their way also in addition.”

According to the NADMO Director-General, despite the devastating effect of the floods, no casualties have been recorded.

“We thank God we did not record any casualty. People were affected but there were no casualties. Especially the students, it affected many schools.

“The other places we visited, the primary school students have to go to school through the use of canoes and other things where we have provided life jackets.”

He noted that schools are vacating and by the time school reopens the flood waters would have receded.

Mr Prempeh-Agyemang indicated that NADMO carries out assessments before providing relief. The relief is based on the needs of the victims.

He cautioned people who take undue advantage when there is a disaster against selling relief items meant for victims.

“I have directed that relief items are not for sale. It is not meant for every individual in the community. It is meant for individuals who have been affected by the disasters. So this time around I have pleaded with Chief Executives who are also chairpersons for disaster management committees in the various districts to make sure that nobody, no single person, takes anything to go and sell. They should make sure everything gets to the affected victims,” he said.

He urged the local staff of NADMO to co-operate with the relevant authorities to ensure a smooth distribution of relief items.

“Co-operate with the assembly that is the Chief Executive so that things will be done orderly according to assessment,” he said.

The NADMO Director-General also pleaded with the locals to relocate to safer grounds.

He noted that despite the ancestral beliefs they might hold that deters them from moving from flood prone areas, in times like these, they must move away till a time when the flood waters recede in order to safeguard their lives.