Tema Metro inaugurates disaster management committee to build resilience

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has officially inaugurated its Metropolitan Disaster Management Committee, signalling a strategic shift from reactive relief to proactive disaster prevention.

The inauguration, which fulfils a statutory requirement under the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) Act, 2016 (Act 927), makes Tema the first of the 29 districts in the Greater Accra Region to establish its committee following recent ministerial directives.

Ebi Bright, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), addressing the committee during the inauguration, emphasised that the assembly’s priority was to safeguard lives by addressing long-standing structural hazards.

Bright said, “We are moving away from a culture of merely responding to disasters with mattresses and rice; our focus is now on proactive mitigation, which includes identifying risks and ensuring our waterways and infrastructure are safe for all citizens.”

She pointed out that the mandate of the committee, of which she is the chair, is a crucial component of the larger ‘Resetting Tema’ agenda, aimed at restoring the administrative and infrastructure integrity of the city.

Bright emphasised the value of interagency cooperation, noting that disaster management is now a shared security duty rather than solely NADMO’s responsibility. She reminded committee members of their primary loyalty to the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the safety of its citizens.

Dennis Nartey, Greater Accra Regional NADMO Director, commended TMA for setting the pace for other assemblies in the region.

“Let me take this opportunity to commend the Tema Metro for setting the pace by coming up and forming their Disaster Management Committee because there’s a letter on the table of the Regional Minister to instruct all 29 metros and municipalities to form their committees, but Tema has started. I commend you,” he said.

He tasked the newly formed committee to treat the evacuation of dilapidated structures at the Kaiser Flats as its first official assignment, describing the site as a disaster in waiting.

“At the slightest tremor, those buildings could come down,” he warned, adding that the goal was to build resilience in communities, not merely respond to disasters after they occur.

The committee comprises 19 members, including heads of TDC Ghana Limited, the Metro Coordinating Director, Members of Parliament for Tema East and Tema Central, and Directors of Health and Education.

Other committee members include representatives from the Environmental Protection Authority, Metro Development Planning Officer, Regional Police Commander, Regional Fire Commander, Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Base, Metro Environmental Health Officer, Metropolitan Works Engineer, Ghana Meteorological Agency, Information Service Department, Social Welfare and Community Development, and the National Investigation Bureau (NIB).