15% of Ghana in earthquake zone

Mr. Kweku Teye of National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) has warned Ghanaians not to deceive themselves into thinking that the disasters they see in other parts of the world could not happen to them.

Mr. Teye, who was speaking last week at a seminar organized by the University of Ghana Association of Psychology Students (UNIGAP) of the Accra City Campus under the theme of "Students in Disaster Management" sponsored by NADMO said natural disasters are bound to happen, but taking the necessary precautions to prepare for them would mitigate their impact.

He said 15% of the national population is located within an area that is prone to unstable geological activity - earthquakes.

He said preventing disaster is cheaper than reacting to it, and appealed to Ghanaians to always get prepared and do things that would mitigate, if not prevent disaster from happening.

He said NADMO has trained a number of volunteers to assist it in managing disaster when it occurs.

NADMO, he disclosed, has proposed to the government to change some provisions in the act that established the organization to ensure effective response and rescue in private organizations. He also called for the establishment of a disaster fund to finance NADMO's activities.