Elizabeth Sackey
The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) yesterday launched a special initiative aimed at preventing disasters in Accra.
The ‘Woke Oshinan Ntswa’ campaign would help find lasting solutions to prevent disasters in the metropolis which continue to claim lives.
The Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, Elizabeth Sackey, in a speech to launch the campaign, commended NADMO for helping to manage disasters, particularly floods.
She said that human activities and negligence, lack of environmental cleanliness and personal hygiene cause disasters in the city.
“As a region, we have very little regard for our drains. All manner of liquid waste find their way into our drainage system, especially the water bodies,” she noted.
Ms Sackey therefore called on Ghanaians, particularly residents of Accra, to have a new sense of direction and commitment to preventing disasters and ensure cleanliness in all places to ensure a filth-free environment.
“Let’s cultivate the habit of cleaning our homes, shops, markets stalls or wherever we find ourselves and most importantly ensure that waste are properly disposed off,” she said.
“We all have to gird our loins to support this noble initiative by NADMO on the journey to tackle disaster under the ‘Woke Oshinan Ntswa campaign,” she averred.
Ms Sackey urged corporate bodies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), religions bodies and chiefs to take issues on disasters seriously.
The Greater Accra Regional NADMO Director, Archibold Cobbina noted that his outfit would focus on the vision of the President of Ghana with respect to making Ghana the cleanest city in Africa.
He said the felling of trees, construction of buildings in waterways and dumping of waste in drainage systems cause flooding in Accra.
He therefore cautioned Ghanaians to desist from such practices, noting that very soon a demolition exercise would take place to prevent future disasters.