The Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Major (Rtd) Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, has clarified the mandate and operations of the Anti-Flood Taskforce recently established by President John Dramani Mahama.
According to Major Kuyon, the primary purpose of the task force was not to directly implement flood mitigation measures but to conduct a rapid assessment and identify areas in the capital most vulnerable to flooding.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, April 8, Major Kuyon explained that the task force’s role was observational and advisory. It was tasked with providing the President with firsthand information on flood-prone areas, particularly in preparation for the upcoming rainy season—a time traditionally associated with destruction, displacement, and loss of life in Ghana’s urban centers.
“The taskforce formed by the President was only to go around and confirm the risk reality of some areas. They finished their work and briefed him, and then he [the President] went round to assess the situation himself.
“The rest of the job is the responsibility of NADMO,” Major Kuyon stated. “And NADMO does not work alone. It collaborates with the Meteorological Service, the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana National Fire Service, and any other state agency involved in disaster risk management.”
The Anti-Flood Taskforce was formed on March 12 as part of a renewed national effort to improve disaster preparedness and flood mitigation.
Chaired by Stanislav Xoese Dogbe, the taskforce’s focus was on tackling and minimizing the ongoing problem of urban flooding, particularly in Accra and other low-lying areas that are regularly affected by heavy rains.
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