Portuphy denies plans to pull down Kufuor's house

Accra, April 2, GNA - Mr Kofi Portuphy, National Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), on Thursday refuted media reports that he would soon institute court action to pull down the residence of former President John Agyekum Kufuor.

"I don't have any personal vindictiveness against him, even though he removed me from office and never paid me my benefits of which I feel extremely bad. I don't have anything against him," he said. "It is not the duty of Kofi Portuphy to pull down the former president's residence. The power lies with government."

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, Mr. Portuphy said he felt very bad about the developments.

"I never said so and I will not say so. We are all looking for peace," he pointed out.

He admitted mentioning some flood-prone areas near the former president's residence when he addressed a day's workshop for sub-metropolitan assembly directors in Accra last Tuesday. Mr Portuphy said rain water from the Akwapim Range through Madina to Accra was blocked by structures around African Regent Hotel (Hotel Kufuor) and the former president's house thereby causing havoc. Mr Portuphy said there was the need to find alternatives to address flood in and round the residence of the former president. According to him there was the need to build storm drains and put up pillars before putting up the buildings.

The National NADMO Coordinator pointed out that many party activists had flooded the pay roll of the organization.

According to him some of these activists took money for no work done stressing that the attendance book provided proof of that. He said as part of measures to streamline the activities of NADMO, the organization was crosschecking names of these activists to find out whether they were dead or alive and identify the roles they played and train them where necessary.

Mr Portuphy cited the case of one Daniel Nii Amon Hammond who had been employed since October 2002 as Assistant Disaster Officer Grade IV, and had been taking his salary for no work done.

"I know he works with Chronicle and Statesman newspapers, and he has been taking pay since 2002 till date and reported for work whenever a new director was appointed. I have asked that his salary be withheld." He appealed to the media to highlight the challenges facing the country so that it could get assistance to support people.

Mr Portupphy said NADMO was going to intensify public education on climate change and steps that should be taken to avert disaster through its District Risk Management Programmes.

He said NADMO had identified Odorkor, Mateheko and Tesano Police Stations as safe havens that could accommodate disaster victims but expressed regret that all these places had been taken over by accident vehicles.