Make sure disaster management is part of curricula – Akufo-Addo charges NADMO

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has charged leadership of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to liaise with its counterpart at the Ghana Education Service (GES) in order to have disaster-management learning themes incorporated in pre-tertiary curricula.

He also charged the Organisation to embark on a sustained education campaign on disasters in the face of recent recordings of earthquakes in Accra.

President Akufo-Addo made this known on Friday, March 19 when he paid a working visit to the Organisation, the first for any sitting president in the Fourth Republic.

It is his first official programme as President of Ghana since his swearing-in on Thursday, January 7.

He took the opportunity to donate 40 vehicles comprising one Toyota Land Cruiser, one Toyota Camry, one Toyota Hiace and 30 Toyota Hilux pick-ups to the Organisation.

“In the course of next month, 32 additional pick-ups will be presented to augment further the fleet of NADMO.”

He said as the country is exiting the dry season and about to welcome the rainy season, many farmers will be embarking on activities that could plunge the nation into major disasters.

“I appeal to our farmers in all parts of the country to exercise the utmost caution in the process of preparing their lands for the farming season especially in the use of fire.”

But President Akufo-Addo urged NADMO to be prepared with relief items and come to the aid of persons in need especially in the rainy season.

The President recounted the series of earthquakes and earth tremors that rocked Accra last year, saying it is cause for alarm.

He said despite charging the ministers of Interior and National Security to constitute a committee of experts to assess the country’s state of preparedness for such occurrences, NADMO must go a step further by ensuring that protection against earthquakes and other disasters are incorporated in school curricula.

“The Minister of Interior will be convening a stakeholders’ conference in early April to study its report and chart a roadmap for the implementation of its recommendations.

“Whilst at it, I encourage the leadership of NADMO to liaise with the Ghana Education Service to help incorporate learning themes of protection against earthquakes and other disasters in the curricula at the pre-tertiary education level and I encourage the Organisation to also embark on a sustained education campaign for the entire population in this regard.”

He assured NADMO of “government’s continued commitment to resourcing it to help fulfill its mandate to the citizenry of responding timeously and in efficient manner in times of distress”.