District Assemblies asked to conduct technical examination of school buildings

      Ho, March 23, (Gaitu/Mensah), GNA- Mr Henry Ametefe, Volta Regional Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has asked District and Municipal Assemblies in the region to conduct technical examination of school buildings in the region as a matter of urgency.
       He also called on the GETFUND Secretariat to withhold payments on the six-classroom school project being undertaken at the E.P. Primary school at Juapong until constructional defects on the project were rectified.
   Mr Ametefe made the call when he inspected a number of school buildings which were destroyed during a rainstorm in the North-Tongu district on March 12 this year.
   That storm claimed one life at Mafi-Zongo and caused extensive damage to the Mafi-Nukportoe Comboni RC Primary School, Mafi-Tsakpo Primary School, Methodist Junior High School and E.P. Junior High School both at Juapong.
   Over 300 pupils and students were displaced.
   Mr Ametefe donated 20 bundles of roofing sheets to the North-Tongu District Assembly and urged it to undertake a crash-programme to rehabilitate the damaged classroom blocks and reinforce others before the onset of the major rainy season.
       He advised the District Assemblies to set some  money from their Common Fund aside to stock roofing sheets and other materials to undertake emergency repairs of public schools and buildings should the need arise.
       “That was how I managed disasters as District Chief Executive”, Mr Ametefe said.
   He explained that NADMO has limited   resources to deal with all disaster situations hence the need for the District Assemblies to be proactive in dealing with such situations.
    Mr Ametefe also called on the Assemblies to factor the “reality” of climate change into their   planning and infrastructure development and also educate communities to take the challenges of the climate into consideration when putting up their buildings.
   He explained that government cannot undertake the rehabilitation of buildings belonging to individuals which got damaged by natural causes.
   Mr Ametefe explained that NADMO’s duty is to help lessen the hardships arising from disasters.
       Alhaji Bubey Dzinadu, North-Tongu District Chief Executive observed that experienced contractors were refusing to take up contracts in the Districts because of irregular release of money from the Common Fund “in the past” to pay for completed jobs.
   He said such experienced contractors were unwilling to pre-finance jobs and were also skeptical of assurances of prompt payments.
      Alhaji Bubey said less experienced contractors were taking advantage of the situation which could affect the quality of jobs delivered.
GNA
WG
23 March 2011