Regional News of Thursday, 16 December 2010

Source: GNA

Central Region to establish Disaster management Fund

Agona Swedru, Dec 16, GNA - The Central Regional branch of the Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation is to establish a disaster fund.

The fund will be used to cater for victims of disasters, Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII, the Chairman of the Platform Committee, said this when he and members inspected some areas affected by last June's flooding of some town in the Central Region.

He said the fund would solicit financial assistance from corporate bodies, banks, financial institutions, companies, and individuals. The members toured area s in the Agona West Municipal, Agona East and Gomoa East districts.

The members of the committee comprise officials from Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), National Fire Service, Regional Coordinating Council, National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Regional House of Chiefs and National Chief Fishermen Association. Dasebre Kwebu Ewusi, a Council of State Member, did not mention the seed money for the fund bu t said it would reduce pressure on the national budget when established.

He said disaster victims always depended on the central government as well as District, Municipal and Metropolitan assemblies for assistance. Dasebre Ewusi and his team inspected two bridges, the Islamic Primary School at Agona Nsaba, Agona Duakwa and some affected places at Agona Swedru. Mr John Oremus Arkoh and Mr Jacob Felix Obeng-Forson, District and Municipal Chief Executives for Agona East and Agona West respectively, appealed to the government and international donors to help resettle the victims. 16 Dec 10