The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) in 2019, experienced various phases of disasters ranging from flood, windstorm, fire and man-made or building collapse which had significant and substantial cost impact on the metropolis.
Considering flood or windstorm, 2,169 people got affected out of which 1,153 were adults and 1,016 children. Subsequently, 73 people got affected by fire of which 51 were adults and 22 children.
Another phase of the disaster was man-made or building collapse which got five people affected. In totality, 2,247 people got affected by all forms of disasters either by fire, flood, windstorm, building collapse or man-made (violence).
These aforementioned disasters infiltrated the metropolis with some repercussions such as the cost impact of disasters. The cost impact of disasters in 2019 was GHS 1,259,360.
In 2020, the world experienced a turbulent outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic which became the root cause of mass destruction of lives and as measures to contain it, the Directorate embarked on mass disinfestation of schools and market places.
NADMO in conjunction with the STMA birthed a team to battle the spread of COVID-19 by having a COVID-19 compliance to ensure the closure of drinking bars as ordered by the President of the Nation to deter the pubs from having an overcrowded environment.
Among the requisite strategies adopted to strengthen disaster risk governance include public education on disaster risk reduction and prevention which is imperative to disaster risk reduction.
The Directorate engaged some selected schools in the metropolis on disaster prevention while the social mobilization team in collaboration with Heads of Local Assemblies (Assembly members) also engaged communities to educate them on disaster prevention.
Some selected markets were also inspected.
The Directorate in collaboration with the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) conducted visitation to some fuel and gas stations (2019) as part of its annual action plan to prevent all forms of disasters in the metropolis.
Tertiary and Second cycle institutions were visited (2018) to check safety measures put in place at the various institutions to mitigate various levels of disasters and to also help NADMO to acquaint itself with the health, safety and environmental measures.
Restaurants and Chop Bars were also inspected to check safety measures put in place at the eateries to mitigate various levels of disasters.
All these interventions were the NADMO-STMA unflinching effort geared towards assuaging disaster risk to basic infrastructure within the metropolis and beyond.
Metro NADMO Director, Mr James Obeng Junior appealed to the citizens of the metropolis to support the NADMO in this regard and called on all individuals, agencies and co-operations to help curb some of the disaster that occurs in the metropolis and the nation as a whole.
Story: Seth Ameyaw Danquah
