W/R: Owner of collapsed building that killed 12-year-old girl at Shama failed to heed NADMO warning — Assembly Member

Assembly Member of the Shama Junction electoral area in the Shama District of the Western Region, Philip Boateng has revealed that 12-tear-old girl, Maame Yaa who was killed by a collapsed building at Shama Junction on Wednesday 22 June, 2022 is the daughter of the Unit Committee Chairman of the electoral area.

He told Alfred Ocansey on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show Friday June 24 that the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) wrote to the owner of the weak building to demolish it but he refused to comply.

“The zonal NADMO coordinator in the area told me they had asked the owner of the building to pull it down because of the cracks on the building,” Mr. Boateng mentioned.

The assembly member also indicated that there are some three other weak buildings within the area that must be pulled down because they are a threat to public safety.

Western Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Abdul Ganiyu has confirmed to 3FM Sunrise that before the rains, NADMO did an assessment of the integrity of structures and buildings in areas like; Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA), Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) and few of the districts within the Western Region.

“We went round to see for ourselves the weaker buildings and advised the assemblies. With the assistance of the assemblies, we went round with the technical officers. Those that the people had to be taken out was taken out and others that had to be demolished were demolished” he said.

He stressed that the buildings and structural assessment exercise they did during the dry season has helped to avoid similar deaths that could have resulted from collapsed weak buildings.

The NADMO director has again assured that together with the assemblies, they will ensure that all weak buildings are demolished to avert further disasters.

—3news.com