Ashanti Region Director for the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) Kwabena Senkyire has called for a total reform to ensure that NADMO gains prosecutorial powers to take on developers who obstruct water ways and build in unauthorized areas.
Mr Senkyire laments there is no legal backing such as Legislative Instrument (LI) that will empower NADMO to prosecute individuals and other developers who erect structures at illegal places such as on water ways to prevent disaster from recurring after each slightest downpour.
His proposal comes at the back of Wednesday night’s rains that got Kumasi almost submerged as thousands of residents in areas not flagged as flood-prone were displaced.
As a result of rains, a toddler was reportedly drowned at Sawaba while several property were washed away by the heavy floods.
Speaking on Akoma FM‘s current affairs and political show GhanAkoma Thursday, June 24, the regional NADMO boss explained that “I have personally made several complaints to the various assemblies and copied the regional minister over how some developers are illegally building structures in water ways, wet lands and other unauthorized places but my numerous moves have proven futile because [with] NADMO, our powers are just to make reports and advise the various outfits, so that has been our challenge”.
Mr Senkyire further told host of the show Aduanaba Kofi Asante Ennin that “if NADMO is given that prosecutorial powers to bite, surcharge and take on offenders from developing wetlands, all these perennial flooding that leads to loss of lives and property will be prevented”.
He further appealed to law makers in Parliament for swift action to transform NADMO from being a mere toothless dog into an authority which can fully perform its mandatory roles.
By Nana Asenso Mensah|Akoma FM|editors.3news.com|Ghana
