UPHOLD GOOD GOVERNANCE PRACTICES — NECKU (PAGE 16, DEC 14)

THE Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Colonel Cyril Necku (retd), has urged Ghanaians to uphold and preserve the values, policies and good governance practices that have endeared the nation to the world.
He said good service delivery to clients was one of the hallmarks and index to good governance.
He added that it was pertinent for every citizen to adopt values that would enhance democratic governance to let the nation shine among the comity of nations.
Col. Necku said this when he addressed the closing ceremony of a three-day workshop for staff of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other stakeholders in disaster management  in the Volta Region in Ho last Thursday.
The workshop was organised under a bilateral agreement between the North Dakota State of the United States of America(USA) and the government of Ghana.
Col. Necku said the protection of life of the people should be a prior responsibility, adding that particular attention should be paid to disaster prevention by giving appropriate and early warning of risks and also be reasonably persuasive to avert havoc.
“Prevention of disasters is an important component of Good Governance and the better Ghana agenda”, he stressed.
He therefore asked them to team up and to avoid conflict of roles with the view to making disaster management system very responsive and effective to serve as the role model for other regions to emulate.
A disaster management expert from North Dakota, Mr Doug Friez commended the participants for the high resourcefulness displayed at the course and said it would enhance the injection of new ideas for disaster management in the region.
He described Ghana as a country which was endowed with rich human resource base.
The deputy national coordinator of NADMO, Mr P.K Aboni, called for a new face to disaster management stating that they should be proactive and develop a good working relationship enough to implement goals together.
In an address, the Volta Regional coordinator of NADMO, Mr Henry Ametefe disclosed that emergency rescue operation was underway in Krachi -West, Krachi -East, Biakoye, Nkwanta- North districts where most of the towns in these districts were flooded.
He said several islands on the Volta Lake were completely washed away which had resulted in the displacement of hundreds of people.
In an assessment, the Volta Regional Police Commander, Reverend David Ampah-Benin said the looming threat of climate change and others were a major source of concern adding that the course content would enrich disaster management.
For his part, the forestry service manager, Mr W.E.K Bimah said such courses should be replicated in district assemblies because the international dimension was important and relevant to the nation but expressed regret that traditional rulers were excluded as participants.
The Volta Regional Director of the Red Cross, Mr Larry Yeboah said the course had put stakeholders together, reawakened the spirit of unity and also exposed weaknesses for necessary redress.