Military Officer heads NADMO

Accra, June 9, GNA - President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Brigadier General Francis Vib Sanziri as the Acting National Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

A statement signed by Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, said Brigadier General Sanziri who replaces Mr Kofi Portuphy is currently the Director General, Joint Operations at the General Headquarters.

NADMO was established in 1996, backed by an act of Parliament Act 517 to manage disasters and emergencies.

This was after Ghana had responded to the United Nations Declaration GAD 44/236 of 1989 declaring 1990 to 1999 as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.

Prior to the formation of NADMO, the National Mobilisation Programme—set up after the 1982-1983 crises of drought, bushfires, famine, and the deportation of 1.2 million Ghanaians from Nigeria—served as the implementing agency of the Disaster Relief Committee.

After the formation, Kofi Portuphy, a member of the Relief Committee who had been instrumental in coordinating the drafting of the Act, became the first National Coordinator of NADMO.

Mr Portuphy served as Coordinator from January 1997 to June 2001 and January 2009 up to date. Brigadier General Joseph Odei from June 2001 to August 2006; Mr George Isaac Amoo, from August 2006 to December 2007; and Deputy Commissioner of Police Douglas Akrofi Asiedu from January 2007 to December 2009.

NADMO performs specific functions which are all aimed at ensuring that in times of emergency, the government is ready to support relief efforts.

The mandate of NADMO stipulates that it offers relief support in times of emergencies in any location of the country.

As such, the organisation has structured its offices on the national, regional, district and zonal levels.

GNA