THE Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has pledged urgent reforms and resource allocation to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), stressing that Ghana cannot afford to remain unprepared for emergencies.
"We cannot continue to do things the way we do them. If we do, then God forbid, the day something major hits us, we will have ourselves to blame," he warned during a working visit to NADMO in Accra on Wednesday.
Expressing concern over the state of NADMO's infrastructure during a working visit to its headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, he described the facility as "crying for renovation" and promised to push for immediate improvements.
"It's such a shame that as I entered the building, I realised that the building itself is in dire need of renovation. And that's one thing we need to prioritise," he said.
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Mr Mohammed-Mubarak assured staff that the government is committed to strengthening NADMO, both in terms of logistics and human resources.
He highlighted the importance of a well-defined scheme of service for employees, which would clarify career progression and benefits. "One of the top priorities on our agenda is to establish a clear scheme of service to ensure fairness in promotions and career development," he stated.
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Additionally, he pledged to fast-track the passage of NADMO's Legislative Instrument (L.I.), which has been pending in Parliament. "With my two decades of experience in Parliament, if I cannot help NADMO get its L.I. passed, then what's the use of my time there?" he remarked, assuring that he would collaborate with stakeholders to see the process through.
Acknowledging funding challenges, he disclosed that he had secured a commitment from the Finance Minister to allocate $1 million to NADMO, which he believes will significantly improve resource availability.
"We hope this funding materialises. If it does, it means NADMO's resource allocation, by the grace of God, is going to improve," he noted.
He also emphasised the need for technological integration to enhance efficiency, suggesting that digitisation could reduce operational costs by as much as 70 per cent. "We need to explore ways technology can help us reduce manual work and improve our disaster response capacity," he said.
The minister assured NADMO staff that his visit was not a one-off event. "This will not be the last time you see me here. I want to return annually so that we can assess the progress we've made," he promised.
His visit ended with a Question and Answer session where some staff raised concerns about promotions, staffing levels, inadequate basic working essentials and collaboration with the police.
He however reaffirmed his commitment to addressing their challenges and working closely with NADMO's leadership to implement reforms.
