NADMO needs GHC300,000 to adequately respond to Accra floods

With the onset of heavy rains in the country, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the body tasked to mitigate flooding in the country, does not have what it takes to manage the effects of heavy downpour in the country.

This was disclosed on Power 97.9 FM by Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar Tchafaram, the Greater Accra Regional Director of NADMO in charge of Fire and Man-made disasters.

He told Kwame Minkah that the NADMO was physically and psychologically prepared to deal with the damages the recent floodings caused but for their limited resources.

“For us [NADMO], we are prepared to work...We have visited many flooded areas and assessed the damage caused,” Alhaji Tchafaram said On Dwaboase on Monday while appealing to the government to resource the disaster-controlling organization.

There have been at least 4 heavy downpours in the last two months that have resulted in flooding and displaced many in the national capital. Areas that have suffered the perennial floods this year are the Kwame Nkrumah circle, Avenor, Kaneshie, Awudome, Adabraka, Sahara Ghetto and places along the Odaw river. Residential areas such as Dzorwulu, West Legon, Shiashie, Okponglo, West Hills and Adenta have also been affected by heavy floods in recent times.

More than 4 persons have lost their lives to the floods in Accra in the past 2 weeks while most of the residents whose houses and structures were destroyed by the rains are yet to be fully cushioned by the government.

Relief items are yet to be shared to the hundreds of flood victims in the capital due to the lack of resources. But Alhaji Tchafaram believes as the Ghana Meteorological Agency keeps predicting more rains in the coming days, the NADMO will need more resources and logistics to be able to deal with the post-flood damages.

“We will need about 300,000 cedis to be able to cater for our needs,” Mr. Tchafaram said in Akan and noted that his outfit has made frantic attempts to get the government to respond to their calls.