NADMO law to be reviewed

Ho, Dec. 9, GNA - Act 517 of 1996 which established the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) is to be reviewed by April next year.

The review has become necessary to give the Organisation greater authority in dealing with the emerging challenges in disaster management in the country.

Mr Kofi Portuphy, National Coordinator of NADMO, said this when he addressed a workshop for District Coordinators of NADMO and disaster management related institutions in the Volta Region. Mr Portuphy said under the review, NADMO would be known as a National Disaster Management Service which would have a Governing Council to oversee its operations instead of the National Security Council as is the case now. The review would also come up with a National Emergency Committee chaired by the Vice-President to deal with emergency situations. Mr Portuphy said diploma and degree programmes on disaster management would be introduced at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration soon.

He said the country's ability to contain the H1N1 influenza was as a result of an efficient surveillance system and people should be educated and encouraged to seek treatment for any symptoms of the disease instead of concealing.

Mr. Henry Ametefee, Regional Coordinator of NADMO, said disasters were in most cases due to poverty, indiscipline and ignorance which NADMO has targeted as part of its strategies to prevent disasters. He said artisans in the region would be taken through retraining so to make them disaster conscious in the execution of projects. The workshop, being run in collaboration with the North Dakota National Guard of the USA, would focus on key elements of emergency Operation Plan, goals of emergency management, government responsibility in emergency, citizens including private sector roles in disaster management and volunteerism in disaster management. 09. Dec. 09.