The Ghana National Fire Service in the Upper West Region has been operating with only one hydrant making fire fighting difficult, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Kwaku Manu Afful, said.

He suggested the construction of more hydrants at vantage locations in the municipality to help improve fire fighting.

ACF Afful was interacting with Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, the Upper West Regional Minister, during a working visit to the offices of security agencies operating in the region to find out about challenges at their work places.

He said the region recorded 145 fire outbreaks last year with 80 of them being domestic fires, 47 rural fires, seven industrial fires and 11 vehicular fires.

He said government had provided the GNSF in the region with seven new fire engines, some of which had been allocated to Nadowli, Jirapa, Lawra, Tumu and Nandom Districts and the Wa Municipality.

Mr. Afful said office and residential accommodation had been a challenge for the personnel and appealed to Alhaji Sulemana to help them to complete construction work on its new regional headquarters.

He said plans were far advance to open new offices at Gwollu, Funsi and Wichiau districts depending on the availability of office and residential accommodation.

Alhaji Sulemana appealed to the personnel to lay emphasis on educating the people and be proactive in identifying causes leading to fire outbreaks as well as enforcing the fire laws.

At the offices of the Wa Prisons, Alhaji Sulemana said government was aware that the prisons were congested and appealed to the prisons authorities to suggest good practices to government to help reduce overcrowding.

Deputy Director of Prisons, Lord N.B. Tagoe, told the regional minister that there were 196 inmates in the prisons resulting in overcrowding and called for measures to reduce the number.

He suggested the opening of a camp at the Prisons Farm at Bayiri.

Mr Laud Kwesi Afrifah, Regional Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service, raised concern about the influx of alien Fulani herdsmen and their cattle whose activities were a threat to the lives of local people.

He said the Service was about to rehabilitate its post at Hamile and also create a monetary post at Fielimon in the Sissala West District.

Alhaji Sulemana urged the personnel to intensify their operations to create more revenue for the country.

The regional minister appealed to personnel of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority to work hard to close up loopholes and leakages in revenue collection.**