NADMO WANTS LAW TO ENFORCE EVACUATION (BACK PAGE, SEPT 24, 2010)

The Upper East Regional Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Patrick Akake, has stated that until the law establishing the organisation is amended, the outfit cannot use force to eject people living close to river beds and flood prone areas.
“Until a Legislative Instrument is put before Parliament seeking to empower NADMO to force out people farming close to river beds and some of the flood prone area, the situation will continue”, he said.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at Bolgatanga, he said in spite of the flood warning alerts issued ahead of the spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso and the onset of heavy rains in the region, some citizens had failed to heed the calls and as a result lost their lives.
In the Upper East Region, 12 lives have been lost so far in flood waters.
According to Mr Akake, until the LI is passed to compel NADMO to apply force, they can only continue to sensitise people not to farm close to the White Volta river, which incidentally is very fertile and suitable for farming.
In August, 2007, heavy rains in the Upper East Region led to floods. The flood was aggravated by the opening of the floodgates of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso when the Burkina Faso authorities failed to notify their Ghanaian counterparts on time for them to prepare for the sudden increase of water.
This year, however, the information on the opening of the sluice gates came very early enabling the NADMO to activate its sensitisation programme on time. Yet , some few residents ones failed to heed the flood alert.