Dormaa Council gives land to Fire Service

Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A) Sept. 4, GNA - Mr Martin Amidu, Minister of the Interior, has commended the Dormaa Traditional Council for allocating a 50-acre land at Abesim, near Sunyani, to the Ghana National Fire Service for office, operational and residential purposes. He urged other traditional councils to assist in that way to lessen the burden of the Ministry of the Interior (MoI) and the government in the provision of accommodation facilities for the security agencies. The Minister was speaking at a courtesy call on the paramount chief of Dormaa Traditional Area, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, who was represented by Barima Yeboah Kodie, Aduanahene of Dormaa, at Dormaa-Ahenkro.

The call formed part of the Minister's three-day working tour of Brong-Ahafo to acquaint himself with the challenges and problems of the security agencies, under the MoI in the region. Mr Amidu commended the council for the giving the GNFS land at Dormaa-Ahenkro and Nkrankwanta, besides helping the police in the area with accommodation.

He reiterated that the government would not renege on its promise and responsibility to provide adequate financial and logistical support to motivate personnel of the security agencies to operate effectively and efficiently.

Mr Amidu, in response to an earlier request by Barima Kodie, explained that the government was unable to open or establish new security posts and stations but would complete existing on-going building projects for such purposes.

He said the Ministry had, therefore, asked Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to provide those local needs for the people since they formed part of their responsibilities.

Mr Amidu stated that the Ministry would provide personnel to any locality or assembly that would provide offices and residential accommodation for the establishment and operation of any of the security agencies. Barima Kodie, in welcoming the Minister, announced that the Dormaa Council had through its own resources building a one-storey building for use by the Police in Dormaa-Ahenkro, which was about 80 percent complete and appealed to the government to assist in its completion. The chief said the Council had also begun a building project as accommodation for the Municipal Police Commander. He requested for the establishment of police posts at Dormaa-Aboabo and Asikasu, as well as fire stations at Amaasu, Nkrankwanta and Wamfie in the traditional area.

Barima Kodie expressed the hope that the government would expedite action on the proposed building of a training school for the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) at Dormaa-Ahenkro. Mr Amidu later met and addressed officers and men of the GIS, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the military at separate mini durbars at Kofibadukrom and Gonokrom, Ghana-Cote D'Ivoire border posts.

At both locations, the respective commanding officers outlined their challenges and problems, which included lack of offices and residential accommodation, vehicles and communication gadgets. Responding, Mr Amidu commended them for the "yeoman's job" despite their logistical challenges and promised that their needs would be met accordingly by the government to boost their morale. He announced that government was expecting about 100 fire tenders, engines and equipment from India, the United States of America and Belgium for distribution to all critical areas and to open new fire stations to enhance the operations of GNFS.