Urban flooding in Ghana is primarily caused by poor urban planning, including excessive concreting of land, failure to preserve natural water absorption areas, and encroachment on wetlands and water channels, which disrupts natural water flow and increases flood risks; effective disaster management requires collaboration between government agencies, local assemblies, and citizens, with proper infrastructure development, early warning systems, and community education being essential components of comprehensive flood mitigation strategies.
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Now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed a notice secret widely in both social and traditional media platforms purportedly issued by the government of the Kingdom of Cambodia regarding alleged immigration measures targeting African nationals residing in Cambodia.
This follows an earlier statement by the General Department of Immigration under Cambodia's Ministry of Interior which categorally described the said notice as completely false and misleading. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs further disclosed that in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, it has facilitated the evacuation of 85 Ghanaian nationals who expressed the desire to return to Ghana between March and May 2026. Additionally, arrangements are currently underway to facilitate the return of another 76 Ghanaian nationals presently in Cambodia who have also indicated their willingness to come back home.
Now moving on, government has welcomed what it describes as a historic apology by his holiness Pope Leo the 14th over the role of the holy sea in trans transatlantic slave trade. In a statement issued by the presidency on Thursday, government said the Pope's acknowledgement of the church's role in legitimizing and sustained enslavement of Africans and transatlantic slave trade represents an act of moral courage and important contribution to the global pursuit of truth, dignity and justice. Here are except of the statement on the video wall.
Now, Presidency on Pope Leo the 14th statement on transatlantic slave trade as a nation deeply connected to history and legacy of the transatlantic slave trade with the most force and castles along its coast standing as enduring reminders of one's humanity of darkest chapters. Ghana remains committed to working with international partners, faith communities, civil society, and peoples of conscience around the world to advance efforts aimed at historical justice, remembrance, and restoration of human dignity.
In this regard, Ghana looks forward to welcoming the international community to Ara from 17th to 19th June 2026 for the high level consultative conference being convened by his excellency John Dummani Mahama. President of the Republic of Ghana on the next steps following the adoption of the resolution aimed at sustaining global engagement on historical justice, remembrance and human dignity.
It is also our hope and prayer that states which do not support the resolution would in the near future align with its objectives and join Ghana and the broader international community in advancing its effective implementation.
Now moving on, the Ghana Meteorological Agency says decades of underinvestment, aging equipment, vandalism, and staff shortages continue to affect the country's weather monitoring and forecasting systems.
Speaking news, Deputy Director General of the Ghana Meteorological Agency, Dr. Nashes Williams disclosed that many of the agency's weather stations became obsolete over time due to deteriorating equipment and lack of maintenance. He further highlighted some challenges faced by the agency.
>> Um from the '9s we used to have a lot of stations scattered around the country.
Um I think roughly between 500 to 600 of them. But um over time because of um the state of the equipment um malfunctioning some of them being becoming a bit obsolete and going beyond their lifespan. We also have issues of thefts and vandalism of our equipment in certain places and more importantly staffing. Um with most of these stations we had uh manual observers who would go there collect information when it comes to temperatures, rainfall that were recorded in different parts of the country. And so once the number of these equipments were being reduced or the people who were there to be able to collect this information uh either either leave the agency or going on retirement there needed to be more sort of like a success plan to be able to help people go in there and then take information for us. But >> Dr. Williams stressed that the current number of weather stations remains inadequate compared to international standards. The institution is therefore pursuing a major retooling agenda through amendments to its governing legislation to attract more funding for modern weather infrastructure.
>> Currently, if we are supposed to go by certain standards, you literally want to have at least within a 5 to 10 kilometer radius have at least a weather station situated in these parts. But it becomes quite financially draining to be able to have some of these progressions. And with the state of the agency also would like to acknowledge um the re we call it the retooling um of the GMAT agency which is now being driven by our sector minister through the amendment of our act. Now this is trying to bring in more um funding to the agency and through that we'll be able to accomplish that.
So we are looking at weather radars, automatic weather observing systems, you are looking at automatic um weather stations, you are looking at uh marine um ocean buoys. These are a lot of equipments that you need and they are very capital intensive.
Let's look at some topical stories. And severe spillage of the Oija dam has left residents of TGO in several homes submerged, prompting the Ganche to order residents in affected areas to evacuate within 48 hours for their safety.
Authorities have begun emergency response measures at Titugu after flood waters entered homes, displacing residents and forcing many families to seek temporary shelter. Currently I'm at TU and around me you can see the extent to which uh the spillage has gone to around me houses have been abandoned um people have left their homes water has submerged homes >> we need the canalization the the ga and the river to be addressed simple and the area will be free the area will be free because surely the dam will be full and the dam will be open surely so they have to know the time And before opening the dam they have to open the barrier over there too. So that once the water is coming the water should flow. It is a necessary thing to be done. We are human being supposed to be done.
All is flooded.
This my first time of experiencing this flood and it's been quite challenging but uh God has been with us. We have been able to accommodate most of the people in our church >> and even we are we are able to feed them have been able to feed some of them and then at least the community is having trust >> and then is relying on the church to at least provide them with a safe place to occupy. So I think we are doing our bit by God's grace we are fine >> right >> before then there were announcement but you see some of them they have nowhere to go so probably they will still be the challenges are there but where are they going so they had we had pre-announcement and so on and so forth but yet these challenges are bound to happen so we take it >> right >> we are expecting the government or at least stakeholders >> to come into our 80. I want to tell all our fellow members, our colleagues, our church members that uh these are some of the challenges. Sometimes they are inevitable but sometimes we have a way of dealing with it and uh we trust that this will never happen again. It is a trust and we don't have the control but we trust that it wouldn't happen again and with God all things will be possible for us. And so I'm atu we came here with the greater a regional minister and the ganche the ganche has given a 48 hour ultimatum to people who are still in their houses uh to evacuate to save their lives and go to safe heavens place places that have been provided for people who have nowhere to go uh to occupy. Today there is an evacuation order and you have you you have about 48 hours to adhere to it.
You cannot stay here any longer because at 4.2 at the level of the dam everything here is at risk including human lives and property. We will leave property and save lives to the safe heaven Nadmo the original minister which is the regional coordinating council have created for all who be evacuated to the center.
Please in 48 hours let's leave this space leave this property behind and save your life.
And so the greater regional minister also uh in an interview with Metro News says though there has not been any casualty, she's also urging people to save their life first. Far so good.
They've not recorded any casualties and uh Nadmo together with the MCE and the assembly member they've really done so well. So let me commend them. uh from here we visit the those that has been evacuated and and uh see to their welfare. I've asked directed MCE to make sure that they attend to the NADM mall has also given some relief items like uh mattresses, blankets, what have you, rice, oil, what have you. So uh I'll say that we'll be monitoring closely but we are pleading with residents here to make sure that I mean they adhere I mean to the instructions that has been given and so currently at my name is Vanessa reporting for metro news.
>> Now moving on CEO of financial intelligence center for speaking on good morning Ghana disclosed that a crisis below the water table while advising proper management of settlements. This follows the submergion of houses and etc by Ghana's perennial flood problems. N PPP national treasurer hopeful Alfred Thommpson called on the ruling NDC to fix the problems instead of lamenting.
A lot of acra is under the water table. And uh when engineers talk about water table, the water table is the upper level of soil or rock where water runoff water fully saturates. Okay. So for example, if you go to my hometown is about 2,000 ft above the water level.
>> So you will never fly >> cuz when it rains >> it moves >> it moves downwards. But the runoff from the rains in the hills comes down to Ara.
>> Mhm.
>> And heads towards the sea.
Okay, >> you see we can't cheat nature back to the days of the colonial administration.
Acra's water table was mapped out. Many of the areas in which we live now is below the water table and we haven't managed the judetic disposition of of of the areas in which we live in properly.
Okay. So there are areas that nobody should live in, right? But people have lived there. You cannot get away with cheating nature. We have to have an approach that we will not allow unplanned areas to exist. My brother has already lamented for me. So now what I'll say is that your solutions you have please put it on the table for your government to fix.
Fix them. YOU WERE VOTED INTO POWER TO FIX THE problems not to lament on TV.
Tell your minister if you will not listen let them change it like how you always send messages here that we don't know what you are about as a as a opposition party. Opposition is for us to come with some of these things you are lamenting about for you to fix it.
But now you have given me solutions to all the perennial flat problems that have gone on. Wasn't it the same government that recently before this fluster the last year somewhere they took a helicopter and in fact moved the whole of Ara and put a deputy chief of staff there that he was going to be in charge of fixing these flats. It's become worse and more it's become worse.
In fact, it was the waste of taxpayers money to move that helicopter to take offated matters. The president of the institution of engineering and technology Ghana engineer wonder Devil has attributed persistent flooding in part of the country to poor urban planning and unchecked development.
Speaking on Metro TV's News Night, he said the excessive concreting of land and failure to preserve natural water absorption areas are worsening flood risks.
>> So that is what they are supposed to be doing. First of all, we have what we call special planning authority >> for the assembly where they look at the area to say that this area was going to be a residential area and this is how we are going to plan it. The law that is the land use as special planning act may make provision for them to do all this and there is also another ally which is LI 2465 which gives them the power to say that if you are coming to build on this piece of land you are supposed to leave this portion unbuilt that is to say maybe one/ird of your plot is supposed to be left unbuilt but the other aspect of it is that they are supposed to say that okay when the one that we are leaving unbuilt supposed to be the area that has to be screened what is supposed to be the area has to be concreted and that one it's not stated explicitly in the law but assemblies have the right to pass their bylaws to say that where you are living you are supposed to leave some areas to be green that whenever we have runoff some of them will be percolated and then we can have the underground water replenished and then the one that will be left on the surface will be filled so we don't have flooding Now government is intensifying its fight against illegal mining as an 800 acre reclamation drive has begun at Incrful, the birthplace of Ghana's press president Dr.Wamin Kroma to repair the devastation left by Galami. There's more in this report.
For years, illegal miners have left behind deep dangerous pits filled with rainwater. Residents say they are constant threat to children in KFO Agriculture Senior High School has been badly hit. Months ago, a student drunk in one of these pits behind the school.
But good news sir.
is over 800 acres.
Emmanuel, Minister for Lance and Natural Resources. In view of the disturbing devastation of several acres of land and vegetative cover, the Ministry of Lands Natural Resources has handed over 800 acres of mined outs land along the river Subri to RM Eco Restore Ghana Limited for full restoration.
to some more environmental stories.
Young African innovators garden in a crop for the second edition of the climate champion competition to showcase innovative solutions aimed at tackling climate change and promoting sustainable development across the continent by sat discovery Africa. The climate champion competition is a pitch program aimed at identifying and supporting young innovators to develop practical solutions to environmental challenges across the continent. The initiative provides a platform for entrepreneurs to present ideas in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, waste management, and climate adaptation while connecting them with mentors. investors and industry experts to help scale their solutions. Natasha Dazzi is the chief executive officer of Startup Discovery Africa. She also noted that this year's edition focused on young entrepreneurs who are actively working in their respective fields and are widely recognized for their innovations and impact. our second edition of the climate champion competition, an initiative that we have we have run uh to identify climate innovators, nurture them, provide them with coaching and funding to be able to scale up the impact of their solutions in their communities and on the environment. We have come together as an organization to identify solutions that will help tackle the impact of climate change on the continent. I'm happy to say that yes, we've been doing this in Ghana. We have worked closely with almost 100 founders across different centers tackling climate change. Just last week, we expanded into Nigeria. Our idea is that over the next 6 months, we're going to expand our footprint across West Africa to be able to identify, nurture, and support climate innovators to help them scale the impact of their solution on the continent. The climate champion competition continues to serve as a platform for nurturing young climate innovators.
Now the family of the late apostle Dr. Engineer Kosafo has held a press conference to updates the public on final funeral rights arrangement. During the briefing, the family also unveiled the official funeral cloth that will be used to honor the memory of the renowned apostle. Former MP for Dominic Quabinya and daughter of the late apostle Sarah Joas Safo addressed a new conference reiterate that the Cananka family the Poto family is a very large family. We have our brothers and sisters from Cameroon. We have some from Chad and all across the world. The earlier date that was put up 25th of June having consulted all our family members across the world and their preparations to come and honor their beloved son, their beloved father, their beloved uncle indicated that the time was too short for them to plan their coming and to come and um pay the last respect to our late father.
We couldn't have been unaccommodated.
So we had to take that into consideration. And for that matter, we all met as a family. We all met as church leaders. We all met as um children again to have a relook at that 25th June date. And we came to that conclusion having consulted the asantra the asant of 82 I who we informed of this new development and approved the 30th of July for the burial service of our late father.
So everything we say here we have been in consultation with all relevant parties. We've been in consultation first with Ouno. He's given his blessing. He's aware that we addressing the press today.
We've consulted church leadership and they're all here also to show their support for the new date.
Let's take some regional stories now.
And pupils and teachers of a Chimpano Presbyterian Basic School in the Eastern Region on Tuesday, May 26th, staged a peaceful demonstration through the principal streets to protest against the repeated defecation in their classrooms by unidentified persons.
Wearing red ambants and holding placards, the pupils marched through the town chanting solidarity songs and calling for urgent intervention to end what they described as a growing public health threat affecting academic work.
Residents say the repeated acts which reportedly involve the breaking of classroom doors at night have become a major setback to teaching and learning with pupils and teachers often forced to clean human waste from classrooms before lessons can begin. Speaking during the protest, PTA chairman and Isal Hassan confirmed that the issue has become a serious concern for both staff and pupils.
Chrome.
Head mistress of the school said the demonstration was necessary to draw attention to the hardship pupils and teachers endure each morning due to the repeated cleaning of human waste from classrooms before academic activities commence.
>> Morning. We have to demonstrate through the bible streets here just to let the community know that we are tired of sweeping. We are tired of scrubbing.
It's just uncomfortable. So, we are pleading that this will be a medium to help her care this situation. She appealed to authorities, community leaders, and general public to respond swiftly to the school's concern and help bring the unfortunate situation to an end.
Now, a solemn ceremony has been held in Akra to commemorate the 78th International Day of United Nations peacekeepers with renewed calls for global security and peace. The event organized by the government of Ghana through the ministry of foreign affairs and regional integration and collaboration with the United Nations in Ghana and other key partners took place at the forcourt of the state house.
The ceremony brought together government officials, diplomats, security personnel, and representatives of international organizations to honor the dedication, bravery, and sacrifice of United Nations peacekeepers serving across the world. Activities at the event included a flag raising and wreath laying ceremony symbolizing remembrance, resilience, and hope for lasting peace.
Four wreaths were laid on behalf of the government of Ghana. The United Nations peacekeepers and families of fallen peacekeepers held under the theme invest in peace.
The event underscored the urgent need to promote peace and dialogue amid rising global conflicts and instability.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs James Jachi Quisin expressed appreciation to peacekeeping troops for their sacrifice and dedication to maintaining global peace and security. Today we gather not only to honor the memory of the brave women and men who have uh made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of humanity but also to recognize the dedication, professionalism and resilience of all peacekeepers serving in the United Nations peacekeeping operations across the world. At a time when the world continues to face protracted conflicts, terrorism, violent extremism, political instability, organized crime, climate related security threats, and humanitarian crisis, the role of the United Nation peacekeeping has become even more indispensable. On his part, the UN residence coordinator in Ghana, Zia Chudri, commended Ghana for its long-lasting contribution to international peacekeeping missions and further appealed for collective global efforts towards sustaining peace worldwide.
>> Peace requires political will, sustained financing and collective commitment.
Now is the time to invest in peace, not in war.
Colleagues, friends, ladies and gentlemen, Ghana has played a catalytic role in peacekeeping operations, setting an inspiring example for nations around the world. Since its first participation in UN peacekeeping operations in the 1960s, Ghana has demonstrated an unwavering comm security, providing troops, police officers, and civilian personnel to missions across several continents.
And one of the evacu who was among the first batch of Ghanaians from South Africa has described his experience with xenophobic attacks and harassment saying foreign nationals particularly Africans are increasingly being targeted in parts of South Africa.
Speaking exclusively on Good Afternoon Ghana on Thursday, May 28th, Fifi recounted an incident in Johannesburg's central business district where he encountered a large group of people moving aggressively through the area screaming words used during hostile encounters with foreigners.
>> I was going to eat bangu and okro, >> okay, >> from a Nigerian restaurant.
Then I saw these guys coming in numbers.
They were like um 200 or more screaming.
They have a a very fancy word. They scream when they want to um level their aggression against foreigners. They say abahbe abah mean abbe means go home.
>> Okay. So when you hear them screaming Abahham, don't stand there trying to understand what they want to say because they wouldn't give you the freedom of time to explain why you're not South African.
>> You have to vanish.
>> You have to find your way to flee the dangerous scene. Wherever you are as a Ghanaian and hear the word Abahham, run for your life. I ran away and some of them took after me in central business district. He further alleged that some police officers in South Africa exploits vulnerable migrant workers, particularly women in the hair braiding industry. He claimed officers wait until they close their shops before taking money from them with the women fearing arrest if they resists.
>> Let me tell you how the South African police is taking advantage of this situation. And I feel very sad for our women, the elderly women who are in South Africa braiding hair. And of course those one constitutes just a minute percentage.
You know what this police does? They wait for these women to close from their their what their saloons when they have braided the hair from morning till evening and they just ambush them right after they have closed the shop and they take their money because of course you don't want to go to jail.
>> Meanwhile, Fred Duho, media relations officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rebutted claims that most of the Gany were legal migrants. our brothers, sisters, mothers, uncles, aunties who returned home yesterday, almost uh 90% of them had legal documentation. Uh that is the information I got from our high commission in South Africa. just a few of them who uh I mean had their visa uh process or their visa extension denied or the processes never went through, they are the people they are classifying as undocumented uh individuals they are chasing after. I can tell you that as far as Ghanaians are concerned, I mean their safety, whether they are documented or not, and they show interest to return home, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will stop at Nton to bring all of them home.
>> The next batch of evacuees are expected to arrive in the country next week.
On behalf of the vice president's professor Nana Jupajiman, the voter regional minister James Gunn has distributed over 1,000 boxes of sanitary parts to selected senior high schools and female inmates and presents across the voter region. The event held at St. Katherine Senior High School in the South Tom district was aimed at marking this year's World Menal Hygiene Day. Our voter regional reporter Gabriel Simple has more in this report.
World menstrual hygiene day is an annual global awareness campaign observed every year to promote good menstrual health and hygiene. Break the stigma surrounding menration and advocate for equal access to menstrual products, education, sanitation and healthcare. To commemorate this year's day, Professor Nana Jane Nobukajan through the voter regional minister distributed over 1,000 boxes of free sanitary parts to vulnerable institutions in the voter region. Speaking to the media, the voter regional minister James Gun explained the rational behind the distribution >> and the vice president of the republic is leading this uh particular initiative uh being a mother herself. She believes that no child, no girl child should absent herself from school because of menration. And today being the world menstrual hygiene day, she has brought over,000 boxes of sanitary parts to be delivered to um schools that are um disadvantaged.
>> The head mistress of St. Katherine Senior High School, Reverend Sister Genevie Afford expressed appreciation for the gesture, describing it as timely. Most of our girls who come from the remote are some of them are very poor. So they come to school without and during those days some of them use toilet rolls and some other things that are not hygienic. So this will go a long way to help them. So they they are usually happy when the tanks like this.
So they are very happy because it helped them because most of them don't have the resources to acquire some of their own.
>> The district chief executive for Northtown Victoria Ame said the donation would greatly support female students during their menstrual periods and help them maintain proper hygiene while remaining focused on the education.
>> Genuinely there are some people that cannot afford. So this is an intervention that is going to support them when that time of the month.
>> Beneficial institutions included special and inclusive schools, Islamic based schools, a female correctional facility and psychiatric hospitals. The initiative seeks to promote dignity, better health and continued education among girls and women.
>> That's all for the news updates. For more news, log on to Metro TV online.
We'll go for a quick break and we'll be right back.
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Welcome back from uh the break. This is Good Afternoon Ghana here on Metro TV.
Natasha Jama brought us the news update coming up on the show um till we wrap up at 1:30 p.m. today. We have two conversations, big conversations on the show today and uh we'll be talking to the National Disaster Management Organization. the director of the inspectorate unit is joining us here on the table to talk about um their work so far in the season as we've seen the flood situations across various communities in the capital and other places across the country. What has been going on? What has been the observation?
What will be done about this situation?
And uh of course when times we see we see some of these things happening and then when action is taken a lot of things come up and then we tend to you know relax all of those things and the next year comes and it continues again we get to talk about that and then later we have a conversation with the member of parliament for Ablum West Reverend Dr. Aquado will be joining us on the table to talk about his work as a parliamentarian for the constituency looking at uh you know just balancing ministry and then politics. It will be an interesting one to to find out from him and then we'll talk about also what he's been doing about the situation in his community regarding in his constituency regarding the rings and flats and all of that. So stay with us.
We're live on Facebook at Metro TV Ghana and uh also DSTV channel 277 as you see on your screen that's uh the overflow from the spillage of the wage dam yesterday my colleague Vanessa Edoton Buing was in the area as uh we saw the gante and also the regional minister there assessing the situation so that is what we'll be talking about on the show so join us 94.1 FM on radio. If you're driving, you can definitely be a part of the show on YouTube. We are live on there at Metro TV Ghana. My name is Desmond Oku Danso. So, we get into the conversation now this afternoon. As I mentioned, we have Richard Amuyatis, director for the Inspector Unit of Nadmo, joining us here. Good afternoon, sir. Thank you very much for joining us here on Good afternoon. uh Ghana, how how has the past few days or weeks been um for you and your and your men on the ground?
>> Yeah, good afternoon this month. Good afternoon to your viewers and those who are listening on your FM station. I'm sir and a good afternoon to my director general and all the NADMO staff who are on the field especially the staff of the way municipality who as I speak now are in the communities white cross and other areas assessing the situation.
>> Yeah the last few days have been hectic >> because of but the heavier rains were expected.
>> Okay.
>> So we were ready for the heavy rains. We did all that we needed to do in anticipation of the heavy rains like sensitizing floodprone communities, ensuring that our safe havens are ready and then putting out the national emergency hotlines so that those who find themselves in distress situations could call for support. So we did all that we had to do. We again engaged the assemblies in the floodprone areas where we identified water channels wetlands that have been encroached upon. That is why you saw us removing structure unautures from some >> wetlands all in an effort to mitigate the risk of flooding this year. So a lot >> that's what you've been doing for your units, the inspect units. What exactly do you do? They're responsible for ensuring risk reduction measures are actively implemented.
>> Okay. Okay. Right. Over the past years, we've we've heard about NADMO and the activities uh Nadmo has to do. Uh many of times also there has been some backlash you know for the organization um in terms of what people expect that you should be doing and um in this particular situation would you say that there is enough resource available to you and your men to be able to do the work that you've been assigned to do >> when you use the word enough I don't know what that means >> we all work with the resources available >> and you make sure that you maximize >> the effort important ensure that you get the best out of whatever is available to you. Is it what is it? Is it what?
>> That's why I don't understand what you mean by enough. I don't know how much is enough >> like Oliver twist you always ask for more. If you give us 100 cities today, >> tomorrow we ask for 200. So there will never be enough but whatever resources are available to us, we'll make sure that we get maximum results.
>> What exact resources do you need to do your work?
>> First and foremost, every other resource that we need depends on finance. the finances.
>> Okay, >> every other resource has to be procured.
>> Okay, >> and then we will need some financing to do our work. And then we collaborate. So sometimes we bring other agencies together. We have a network of agencies like we have the disaster management committees which are made up of all agencies who are likely to have a role to play in the event of any situation and they all have resources that will be needed. So we pull together resources in critical times to do. No single agency has it all and can do it all. So we pull resources together to do whatever we have to do.
>> Right. And and for that question I'm I'm seeking to know whether for your work ve you use vehicles for rounds. You need um bulldozers like all of those things. I just want >> we need a lot of vehicles to monitor situations. We have 261 districts in this country.
>> Okay. And ideally every district should have at least one vehicle >> Mhm.
>> to be monitoring. But as I speak to you now about 90% of our district don't have vehicles.
>> Vehicles.
>> Yeah. Even our regional and national situation isn't the best. But like I said, nobody has it all. Mhm.
>> We pull together resources when all the other agencies come together to try and get maximum result out of the little that's available >> as as you go on the ground. Do do you do you think that Ghanaians do understand what disaster is and how to respond to it?
>> That's that's that's a big one. You see the reason why acts one of the key reasons >> okay >> you know nad was originally set up with act 517 of 1996 and after 20 years it was reviewed >> and one of the findings was that >> citizens have to take responsibility.
>> Okay.
>> There are certain things demands that should be made of citizens cuz at the end of the day everybody is entitled to ensuring their own safety before other people can come in to help.
That is why act 927 was passed which puts responsibility some responsibility on citizens. So yes we all doing the best that we can but we think that citizens have to do more in terms of compliance. I always say that when you comply you reduce the risk of disasters.
>> Okay.
>> So I put it this way. Compliance is disaster risk reduction. But we are fond of calling for enforcement.
Enforcement. Enforcement. Why should there be enforcement when you can do the right thing?
>> If everybody is doing what they have to do, everybody is law abiding. And then we all know that our enforcement capacity is not up to the standards required internationally. For example, if you take our police to citizen registry and all that. So definitely enforcement there's a huge gap. So we must preach for the citizens to be more responsible and comply because all the regulations for the development control is to ensure the safety >> of the citizens of the community and everything. So let's also preach ask the citizens to comply instead of always hitting hard at agencies and force enforce but we all know that the standards in this country does not meet the standards. The capacity of enforcement in this country is way below the required standard. So how can we then enforce effectively?
>> Okay.
>> So we do the best that we can but there are gaps but if the citizens are helping us by complying we think that we will mitigate most of our risks.
>> Okay let's get let's get into the situation uh proper. So about um a month or so ago started having the rains coming down. I remember uh two weeks ago almost three weeks I was in Capeos when there was a heavy rain in Capeos. Prior to that there had been some rains even in Ara so close to a month with that happening. Tell us the the operational you know uh you know process that it goes through for your organization as you collaborate with others like the gmets like the assemblies from the beginning and then as it comes and after >> number one I would say is early warning >> okay >> you need to know what is avail what the threats available Okay.
>> Before you can even think of putting in place prevention or mitigation measures.
So when it comes to flood situations or weather related incidents, the key agency is the Ghana Meteorological Agency.
>> So at the beginning of every year they give NADMU the outlook for the year and then based on that we start our preparedness to the level that we activate all our contingency plans. For example, this year once we got the outlook and based of our assessment on last year's situation where we identify some flood hotspots, we worked with the various assemblies to start opening up the channels which are being encrrewed upon >> dredge channels that are silted. That is why you saw Nadmo and the assemblies engage in removal of unauthorized structures in the Sakumo basin and in the Quishi basin.
>> Right.
>> Follow up to that we also clearing the fillings the materials that was used to fill and elevate the ground.
>> Okay.
>> We are clearing all of them to ensure that the basins can serve the purpose for which they were created. So we are doing all these things in collaboration with the district assemblies and then the security services. So from the word go we started working with assemblies to mitigate flooding this year and then we have done a lot of work. What is happening in the dens basin is as a result of extreme or very heavy rainfalls upstream.
>> Okay.
So the influence into the reservoir of the wager dam >> is heavy and as I speak to you now wager dam is peeling. All five gates are open at yesterday it was heavier. So the gates had been opened above 13 in each.
As at today they are opened at 24 in each spilling high intensity and but still the level is a little above the maximum operating level.
>> So we need to spill to safeguard the integrity structural integrity of the dam.
>> So it's the lesser of the two evils. If you spill there'll be communities downstream inundated. M >> if you don't spill upstream communities will be inundated and then the integrity of the dam itself it may collapse >> and then when it collapse is worse >> it it brings a lot of uh >> so this pilling is to protect the dam as if the dam is being protected it's also easing flooding in upstream communities the reason the downstream communities were because it was heavy but before in anticipation of that we opened up another estuary to allow for flow, faster flow.
Unfortunately, we completed that exercise by 5:30 to 6:00 a.m. yesterday cuz we worked throughout the night open up cuz we were anticipating this heavy flows. M >> but unfortunately as we had finished opening and we were expecting that in about 2 3 hours the water levels were going to recede there was heavy rainfall >> the rings also came >> so that is what changed the situation but as I speak to you now the levels are receding and then the communities are returning to normal and then those who were displaced >> over we identified about 105 persons who were displaced and then they are being kept in some safe places. Okay. And then they the responsibility of nothing.
>> Right. So we we've we've seen videos from B we've seen Dan we've seen of course Canadian cir it always happens but for places where are more residential that happens. Um if you evacuate people what is the process like? Do is it is it a a a by force evacuation? You need to move by force or you leave it to the people to say they want to.
>> We appeal.
>> Okay.
>> We appeal to people to move to our safe haven. That is why we always tell people wherever you live there's a Nadmo office near you.
>> Go to the nearest Nadmo office.
>> You have offices everywhere.
>> Everywhere in this country.
>> Northridge.
>> All the 261 districts have more offices and beyond the district office. We have zona offices.
over 900 of them around the country. So we have office there is always a NAD office close to you visit the nearest NAD office and then they will show you the safe haven that we have for your community so that in times like this you move in you self evacuate.
>> Okay. And then sometimes to we have what we call the shelter in place where you are better off staying put because the community will be flooded but it will not enter your room >> or you are safe because it's a store building or it's on a higher ground you can move up and be safe. So we sensitize communities right from when we receive the outlook for the year.
>> So we've been doing this across the country.
>> Yeah because I am I'm surprised about the centers you mentioned though. Yeah.
>> So for for okay where I live um Aushi Malang where is the Nadmo office >> I sitting here I cannot >> but go to the district assembly >> the assembly will be able to open >> the assembly will show you where the zonal offices are.
>> Okay.
>> Then you will know the nearest office close to you >> right. What's been the most surprising thing yourself and your team see on the ground regarding the flooding and and all of that? like surprising I hardly get surprised because we anticipate some of these things >> because of our relationship with Jim.
>> Okay.
>> And then also from experience over the years. Yeah. So nothing surprising.
>> Yeah. And and of course the surprising thing will be some places that did not used to >> what is happening is that >> because of you see the more we develop put up structures then we decrease infiltration >> that is the flow when the heavy rains come they don't stay they have to flow out >> out yeah >> but then we impede the flow it is when we impede the flow that it builds up and flat communities >> you understand and then also So by way of development sometimes we change the topography in some areas when people are developing and there is a hill instead of them to design take into >> consideration the topography >> they rather clear so what originally what an area that was not lowly originally suddenly becomes low >> an example would be >> oh I cannot immediately give an example but if you look at the development on the grapp range.
>> Okay, >> that is what people are doing apart from clearing the vegetation.
Okay, >> they are flattening sections of the you know for development and that is what is causing the flood because a lot of the runoffs come from the mountains that is when there's heavy rains on the mountain it runs down across in the past the vegetation will slow down the flow then beneath the mountain we have the wet retention areas which will hold the water but if you go there now All those areas have been reclaimed for development. And then once you reclaim those areas for development, there will be faster runoffs and more runoffs downstream >> and there are no efforts to channel.
Drainage infrastructure is poor. So all these runoffs are not channeled. They just find their way wherever they want.
A and that's and that's where the problem comes in that I've seen some of your men on the ground pointing to some uh buildings that have been put up unauthorized um in Danuman and some in some other areas. Right. You talk about collaborating with the local assembly.
Now the assembly sees the buildings that are put up on the waterways unless they they they tell us that they do not see the buildings springing up on these waterways or places that they should not be.
What do we do with that?
>> Like I said, development control is entirely under the bone of the assembly.
>> So you commit to the assembly.
>> Yeah. And then you know that like I already I started by saying that >> there's a huge gap in enforcement the capacity to enforce itself it's not up to so it affects not only Nadmu but all other >> it makes your work difficult >> yeah it makes everybody's work difficult >> it makes everybody's work diff because if these flats Nadmu has to move if we are moving we are not moving alone we call Ghana national fire service to support with search and rescue we for the police to provide security and protection for the men and also keep the citizenry at bay and then also watch out because in times like this people loot, >> people take advantage and loot >> and in then we can also bring in the Ghana armed forces to back up the operation. So it affects everybody not just one. Oh, but but again >> but then everybody talks about >> as the secretariates. Yes. But then when we move all our agencies are with us.
Okay.
>> Cuz we cannot do it alone. We need the collaboration. So we when it comes that apart apart from we collaborate and also coordinate >> for an effective response when they occur >> for for residents or people who are affected by the flooding and all of that. what um how how do you come by the relief items you give to them?
>> Yeah, relief items it's an issue that you know let me state it clearly here.
>> Okay, >> relief is not just giving handouts.
>> Okay, >> you go to an area that has been affected by floods and then you start giving handouts to everybody who lives. No, that is not relief. Relief is targeted at the most vulnerable cuz it's a lifesaving >> measure. a measure to ensure that those who have been affected continue to have a life of dignity. They will not become beggars because of the situation. So we so that is what relief is all about. So we do an in-depth assessment of every individual who has been affected. For example, we look out for your source of your income levels, your network of support and all. So many factors are taken into consideration. Then we arrive at a decision that this A can survive B needs our support to survive. Then so the relief will be targeted at those who need us. Of course it's because we don't have unlimited resources, >> right?
>> So we need to target the most vulnerable are the ones we take care of. But then you hear people complaining cuz they saw me give >> I give something to A, I didn't give to B. But your situations are not the same.
your situations are not the same.
>> So what do you give mosquito nets?
>> Depending on the situation, it depends on the situation and our needs assessment.
>> You may require clothing.
>> Mhm.
>> Another person may require food, >> right?
>> Another person may require bedings. In extreme cases, somebody will require all these things. For let me give you an example.
If your source of livelihood is a chaos in your in front of your house and it's swept away by the floods while at the same time the flood waters entered your room and you've lost your bedings, you've lost your source of livelihood.
>> So we need to provide all these things support you with this support you with clothing support you with food.
>> Okay. But then your next door neighbor who also suffers the same suffered the same thing didn't lose the source of livelihood.
>> Okay.
>> The source of livelihood is inact.
So immediately he may need support in terms of burdens.
>> Okay.
>> Right.
>> And some rational.
>> Yeah. So we look at all these things.
Some people they just don't need anything for us. I've had the situation where in our set we realize that the person affected and his whole family including their pets had renovated to a city over there. What relief I don't know how to give >> the person who was affected has got to >> has relocated the whole family house even pets has relocated >> that person doesn't need any >> yeah but in some cases somebody will come you give >> Mhm.
m if they don't get it then you hear them on air making also so there's a lot to relieve it's not just a hand out that is distributed >> to people of >> just two questions when we wrap up challenges >> of our >> yes of your work yeah >> the citizens sometimes some people are stubborn they just will not heed to advice move they will not move they will wait until they are overwhelmed by the situation and somebody will have to go and then rescue them. Sometimes people those who call you we thrive on information without accurate information we cannot work. We've put out hotlines.
You are aware. You called hotline. The last time a lady called How do we respond to this? Come down and speak to us.
Then we know your situation and we know the response that we have to deploy.
>> Then we will deploy. And then I also advise that >> uh we keep listening. We listen to weather information. It's very very very necessary.
>> And then those who have kids, especially kids under 5 years, kids love to play with water.
>> Yeah.
>> So when they see the rain, they're excited. They want to please don't make sure they around you.
>> Give them protection. Don't allow them to play in the rain. There is a situation where somebody accidentally fell into a dream. At the time it was rain 5 years and the person was washed away. This is not a flat situation >> but it was raining >> with a little bit of care >> from parents this situation could have been avoided. So let's keep an eye on.
>> So um so please take us through the uh the the lines again the emergency numbers.
>> Emergency hotlines. Uh let me >> Okay. So >> we have the national emergency hotline which is 112.
>> Okay.
>> 112. Then beside that you can reach Nadmo direct.
You can reach Nadmo direct. as as he gets to do that. Uh let me tell you we'll wrap this conversation in a bit and then when we come back we'll speak to the abum west of parliament uh reverend who be joining us. So let's take the numbers and then we >> apart from the 112 which is the national emergency hotline you can reach night mode direct on 0302 56 48 84 0302 964884.
You can also reach us on 0291 91 3077 0291 91 3077 >> these calls will go to our emergency operation center.
>> Okay.
>> And they are on call 24/7.
>> Okay.
>> And then they will respond when your call goes.
>> Right. And the 112 is a national. So still when you call it will be redirected. You know in times like this you could have a lot of distress calls.
So sometimes it appears jammed and people complain that I call them they didn't pick. At the time you place the call the officers were on call with other distress. So it will take some time >> for the so people should have patience.
>> Okay.
>> Now let me also add that there are other emergency service providers police ambulance fire.
>> They are collaborators. We work with them. If you calling that you are not getting, you can call any of their hotlines, >> okay?
>> And then we'll be there to >> to to um to help you. And so please Gandhias, we do not like keeping emergency numbers. So please 0302964884.
Save the number. Save the number. And also 0291 913077.
Those are um emergency helplines um from Nanu. Thank you very much sir for joining us. Uh Richard Amiante is director for the inspectorate unit of the national disaster management organization. We're taking a break now.
We'll be back shortly to talk to um honorable Koadu, member of parliament for Abum West constituency.
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CLASS OF GALA FOOTBALL 2025 2026 SEASON FINALS TODAY FC AND DREAMS FC SPORT AFRICENT GHANA PREF WORLD CUP 2026 FOOTBALL PARTY LOVE SUNDAY I AM PACKAGE INCLUDING A PARTICULAR OPENING CEREMONY FC VERSUS DREAMS FC TO PRESENT GHANA IN CONFIGURATION CAR ANY SURPRISES WE BRING THEM 20 GHANA POPULAR STAND 50 GHANA VIP AND 100 GHANA VINA BREAK. THIS is good afternoon on Metro TV Friday edition of the show. Today's the 29th of May, right? Yeah. So, the last Friday of the month, in fact, the last week of the month of May. We have the member of parliament for Abuma West joining us on the table. Honorable Dr. Reverend Quu Ado. Reverend Dr. Quu Ado has joined us on the table. We get to speak to him, get to know what he's been up to. He's the first time member of parliament and so we get to talk about that and uh all other issues here on the show. We're live on 94.1 FM on radio also on DSTV channel 277 on YouTube, Facebook, we are live on the Reverend Doctor, >> welcome welcome to Good Afternoon Ghana.
>> Thank you for having me.
>> Good to good to see you. I've seen you from afar, you know, moving around here and there, but good to have you here.
First off, you had a yourself and other first- timers in parliament had a very chaotic start to to your tenure, right, in parliament. When you were getting in, what was what was your your perception about parliament, you know, and then now that you're in, >> what is it what is it like to you before I even get into the other matters of ministry? Well, thank you very much for having me and um well, I think expectation was high.
>> Okay.
>> And my first shocker was the size of my office.
I had imagined a bigger office and an office that had its own bathroom.
>> Oh, maybe you know it may be as basic as such, but then you know it it was a shocker. Then the the whole culture and the procedure too >> was new to us >> you know and then you know funny things like maybe even arrangement of seats and things like that you know but those are things that um when you go into any new environment >> you get to understand how things work and then you you also adjust >> but so far so good >> from the 7th of January 2024 till you were >> 25 >> 2025 yeah I mean 7th December when election up in 2024 till you were sworn into parliament. What were you doing during that period?
>> Oh, primarily I think it was just thank you talk to us.
>> Okay.
>> Immediately after the um elections going around thanking people um having um gatherings just to thank people and then facing the reality that now the work >> has begun >> has begun. Right. I remember the morning of the 8th when the declaration was made and then they said, "Oh, let's let's walk through town, you know." So, we we got going. I I got at the back of a pickup. We started moving around and then we, you know, there was the excitement, but we're tired because we had not slept the night prow. And then when we got to around >> okay >> and then I looked at the refuge which was on our right hand side and the muddy side on the left and I said >> this is the work >> you know but all in all it was in preparation and um the expectation to go to parliament and to really see how things were going to work out. Yes. So it it was just a mixed feeling at that time. you are happy but you are still um have to move around thank people and people were giving you counsel people were giving you what and what to be expecting so it was um a period of a mixed feeling but after the swearing in then reality dawns on you >> okay >> that hey this is what you have to do >> been your closest sharing with you parliamentary uh parliamentary procedures helping you out with your stay in parliament >> oh you you know the good thing is that I I think After I was swearing, we had a period of a a week >> or so for various trainings and then workshops and all through last year there were different types of workshops um both committee and um parliamentary um with the PTI parliamentary training institute. So at least they they get you informed. And then we had um some past like honorable chairman Sabunu um honorable Mutaka coming to have various trainings with us and I'm telling you what the standing orders were which was your parliamentary bible and stuff like that. So I mean there's been there was quite enough training you know so then you you begin to experience the actual thing >> going um to work and coming home still to deal with uh the issues of the constituency.
>> Oh I was asking that I just wanted to know who probably was your closest that anytime there was something you could call the person calls you that. Oh, you know, we have leadership.
>> So, um, we have the majority leader, but the the first deputy whip, which happens to be honorable do Yokujo, >> okay, >> happened to have um resided in our constituency and so we had that relationship. So with the hierarchy um she was somebody that normally I'll go to to ask questions about things but eventually you run around and you realize that people like um I mentioned honorable west I mean it's somebody that you lean close to >> but then we we have a few first time that we came around ourselves to also try to figure ourselves out >> little co to see how best we could hold ourselves together you know and I mean as time goes on interestingly you find different people at different times um just naturally drawing in to um give you counsel >> you know um occasionally you find maybe a second timer a third timer you are complaining about something then they ch oh no it's normal is this is that I mean so so far it's been a wonderful time but in admiration too you know as you go along you you find people where you see their style of doing things that you just admire and then you you try to learn from.
>> Yeah.
>> So, Reverend, when did you start? Let's take it. Let's wind it back to ministry.
>> Um, oh, ministry.
I I I grew up in um a more religious home.
>> Okay.
>> My mother was a Presbyterian. So was my dad. You know, at as young as maybe as I knew, you know, there were morning devotions every morning.
um you have to go to church every Sunday whether you felt like or not.
>> Sunday school, >> Sunday school. So naturally we grew through it. But then I attended some secondary technical and then I think somewhere around form three had the privilege of meeting um now we used to call him brother Isel um now Apostle Asel of Grace Outreach >> and then Bishop Taki Boy. They were students. I think they were in their six form or I just so they came to school witnessed and then we gave our life to Christ and since we've been metaphorsing into church staff and everything so mine was progressional >> okay >> you know and then um later on after school when I traveled I joined the lighthouse in the US uh also for quite a few years till I returned to Ghana and then gradually uh at our solutions And so I was ordained as a full-time minister minister. Right.
>> So with that and then on the pulpit of course you must have seen a lot of things happening in polit in the Ghana's political space and I'm sure you must have even talked about some of them you know on the pulpit and then it gets to a point where you decide I want to get in.
>> Yeah.
>> When did you decide?
>> Um it wasn't a decision that I made necessarily but it was events. Okay, >> that's just kind of rolled me into, >> you know, I I've always gotten involved with little things in the neighborhood.
>> And then I think in 2018 there about um a group of um guys, one of them, may his soul rest in peace, um Honorable Aonsa, he just passed not too long ago. You know, we're having a discussion. He was the assembly man and uh we're having this flooding issues. So I had called him that I was going to construct a gutter from my house to the junction but when I'm done I'll make sure the next time he doesn't win the assembly seat because they are not doing anything. And so then he said oh no reverend you know.
So we we we started talking then he said so you know I think you'll you'll be a fine um MP. And I said, "Oh, no, no, no.
I don't want to be part of that." And then through discussions, it so happened.
>> Okay.
>> You know that um there was the need for me to get involved with um some fundraising for the NDC in Abluma West.
And then we did that. Then obviously the style of leadership was like, "Oh, I think you can do this." You know, but all these you know, you have to take it into prayer. Yeah.
>> So I had to consult pastors, my pastors and tell them this is what I'm thinking, this is what I'm feeling and you know with all that. So it happened that I'll try for the primaries but luckily I think we were three eventually became two and then by the grace of God I won that was in 2019 2020. So I contested >> okay >> and then it didn't go well and then after that there was also the backlash.
Oh, the Lord didn't say you should go.
>> You didn't really hear from the Lord.
>> If the Lord has said it, then you should have won.
>> And you know that error also came. But I I still sought the face of God and I was confident >> that the Lord it was all going to be okay. But then also I realized at that time that apparently we didn't I I didn't know much. So were the people around me. So we had learned a lot. So we we prepared for the 2024 and then um glory to god we we were able to win the seat for the DC.
>> That's that's quite a good story to to hear. Um so you came in it's been um almost 2 years >> 17 months.
>> 17 months. What can you say to the people of Bluma West that you've been able to help them with or do for them?
>> Oh you know when we first came in there were a few things that we thought was very important. One of them was the is is the autojaw area where we are still having flooding today.
>> Okay.
>> And we spent a few months just uh making sure because we had just been sworn in January into February. The rains were about coming. We did a lot of dredging work in the autojoy area. And so actually last year there was very less flooding in that area you know. Then we had um our major problem in duo we have a huge youth group because almost about our electorates 60 to 70% are the youth. So we started youth training in which so far I think we've done almost close to 200 of them. Um we took some to the DTI for training those who did the six month and then we now we've enrolled another about 25 who are in in the boarding for the next I think they'll be completing in September in various areas. Then we also had to deal with um the neighborhood issues you you know and the focus have been we've done a lot of um training for small businesses so that they can also grow their business. Um we've also looked at um dredging on the shabu glyph end which was also a major problem for our people. Um we've also done a lot of lobbying you understand.
So we coming up with a 18 classroom block at the beneza school you you know and then the government also set some other path beyond that um I have a passion for um clean neighborhoods.
>> Yeah.
>> You know so the areas where we have um vehicles are not able to penetrate into the township. We've started a major pavement block project just to make sure vehicles are able to get access because somebody may be in there somewhere in big bay uh sick and they would have to carry the person to the roadside you know >> and then the roads are not too good to be able to do that.
>> Yeah. So, but with the payment block, the idea is that we'll be able to have a major payment road into every community.
So, at least vehicles can go in there, whether from the market, >> medical or whatever, you know. So, those are some of the things that we've been doing.
>> Right, Reverend? Um, just two more questions and then we >> we're asking for a part two.
>> Yes, >> we're asking for a part two. We have to wrap it up, but um in the in the season, let's talk about the flat and what what exactly you're you're doing about it. We just heard from Nadmo. We also know they've been going around checking out a few of the places that have been flooded. Um what what do we do?
>> The the the you know we just need to take bold steps.
>> Okay.
>> You know and um just focus on what the problems are.
Just focus on what the problems are. In OJ for instance over the time like I was saying last year we did a lot of dredging so the water couldn't come through. But then after that you know the president went towards the Malam area and instructed that Keitech behind their section where they had built a dwarf um buffer for their their building should be taken off so the water can flow and so um hydro in collaboration with works and housing came so they they opened the channels all the way from Malam market entering into the auto job basin. Okay. And then when we saw it, Minister Kimar, we were very happy knowing that now when it rains, the water will be able to go. But then when it rained last week, Friday, we realized that on the other side, which is the wager side, there's um refugees that apparently had been >> hibed almost for a mile.
Yes. You know, almost a mile which has kind of leaned this way to cross the path of the water. So it's blocking the water blocking the water moving.
>> Yeah. So now that the place was dredged and opened up, more water flew in from the up upstream >> and then instead of going they all had to rush back into that one. So everybody will attest that they've never had that level of flooding before. Why? Because more volumes are coming in but nowhere to go.
>> So yesterday we visited that site. Um and then we looked at it and clearly >> there is no doubt in my mind that that refuge dump needs to be broken.
>> You know it needs to be removed so the water can have it because when you stand on top of the refuge and you look to your right facing south >> you could see just the wide wetland over there.
>> Okay, >> you understand?
>> You're taking it off. Where would you relocate it to? Have you found a place?
>> Well, no. that is not within my jurisdiction but it's um a national or a regional issue where with sanitation it needs to be recited >> okay >> because we can't put a refuge there to create flood in here whilst there is space enough okay >> to be able to contain the water you understand so and then um on the other end of our constituent which is the glyph area there was also a holding basin which is the Jatapo which also there is some refuge to have been dumped to choke it. Okay, >> but that one starting Monday, we are going to stop that. We'll work on that.
And then a few demolitions that have to happen in between >> um some of the corridors of that flows water into the main corridor of the water to go into the Dinsu basin. So those are the things but I think next week Tuesday we'll be having a stakeholders meeting >> okay >> with the the municipal chief the coordinating director police fire um and the urban roads engineer for us to figure a better way to make sure it does that but I I I will appeal that the refuge dump on the wager side that affects the flood and duman I mean national security um ROC they all need to come so we can look at it and break it through to break for the water to be because we know this year we're going to have lots of rains. Yeah, >> this is the early days.
>> Yeah, we don't know if anywhere in the >> Yes, it's early days yet. So, the earlier we solve it the better.
>> Better.
>> And then at the Tunga N2, I think there will be some there has to be some dredging and some maybe slight demolitions over there.
>> Okay. So, um for people of Ablum, is this what your member of parliament says? Um on Tuesday there's a stakeholders meeting.
>> Yes, in the morning.
>> Okay. Where exactly?
>> We'll have at the municipal assembly, the conference room.
>> Okay. at the municipal assembly and then they can uh get some solutions for the current predicament. Um so are you still watching um good Afternoon Ghana here on Metro uh TV? What what's the time?
>> 11:00 a.m.
>> 11:00 a.m. Okay. So take note of that.
>> Reverend, thank you so much for coming.
It's a pleasure.
>> Um of course for your programs, you always do come. So our reporter will be there to follow up on that and then with the producer we can find out a day for you to come. So we talk about the rest.
Thank you so much.
>> It's a pleasure having Thank you.
>> So the member of parliament for Abuma West, honorable Reverend Dr. Quu Adan, that's wrapping up the show. Happy birthday to Casio Labi Abutu Sa West NDC communication director and special aid to honorable Gizella Tet MP4 UA West.
This is coming in from your brother Nana AJ of Metro TV Central Region. Thank you so much uh for joining us here on the show. My name is Desmond Okuano. Have a great weekend and enjoy the rest of our programs. Bye-bye.
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Medical waste is one of the most dangerous forms of waste generated in our society. From used syringes and blood soaked materials to expired medicines and infectious laboratory waste, healthcare facilities across Ghana generate tons of hazardous waste every day. When improperly managed, these waste become silent killers, spreading infections, polluting water bodies, and contaminating the air and threatening both public health and the environment. According to Ministry of Health Ghana, about 15% of healthcare waste are considered hazardous and infectious if not managed properly. But despite policies and guidelines, many health facilities continue to struggle with segregation, treatment, transportation, and safe disposal of medical waste. And so this afternoon on the Clear Report, we take a detailed look into the state of medical waste management in Ghana. The dangers confronting healthcare workers and the environment and the sustainable solutions emerging to protect lives and the environment. My name is Christando and this is the clean report. Stay tuned. I'll be right back.
Every healthcare facility generates waste, but not all hospital waste is ordinary waste. Medical waste includes infectious waste, sharps such as needles and blades. Pharmaceutical waste, pathological waste, chemical and radioactive waste. The World Health Organization estimate that while most healthcare waste is non-hazardous, a significant portion can be infectious, toxic or radioactive if improperly handled. In Ghana, rapid urbanization, increasing healthcare demand, and population growth have significantly increased medical waste generation in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, andarmacies. Yet, many facilities lack adequate infrastructure and logistics for proper handling.
>> Medical waste is indeed a hidden environmental threat in that medical waste is actually part of the categorization of hazardous waste. So when you take medical waste in general, research indicates that 25% of the waste that is generated from healthcare facilities are considered hazardous and this comprises of the sharps waste, the infectious waste, the pathological waste and some pharmaceutical waste.
Now the bill impact of this waste that I've just mentioned vary. So for example, you take the sharp waste. the sharp weight when it is not properly managed. For example, a needle, it can cause a needle prick injury. And if that needle was used on an HIV patient or an hepatitis B patient, it implies that the person that was pricked by the by that particular needle will also be exposed to that particular pathogen. And this can cause emotional stress, family financial impact and all that because if the bread winner has just been infected with an with an infection like HIV and hepatitis, it is really devastating. M if you take waste like pathological waste when this waste is not properly managed which in in in some days people just bury the waste in the ground. We realize that this waste seeps into the groundwater and people someone that may have dug this boho nearby will have the boho infected and a whole household can be also infected by this pathological that was buried in the ground.
We take those like the general infectious waste. Most healthcare facilities and people just incinerate the waste in single chambered inciminators. And research indicates that such burning of waste in those chambers releases pollutants releases furons and dioxins. And these furons and their oxins they are considered as persistent organic pollutants which means that it can stay in the atmosphere for about 25 years, 30 years, 40 years without being decomposed. Meaning that someone even in a far country can be exposed by waste that has been burnt here in Ghana and this waste results in respiratory diseases and this really affects life. So in general you you could see that if medical waste is not properly managed the impact is so enormous and can create a whole lot of devastation in our environment >> across several healthcare facilities in Ghana. Challenges persist in the handling and disposal of medical waste.
Studies conducted in Ghanian hospitals revealed inadequate segregation practices, poor adherence to safety protocols, insufficient training and inadequate protective equipment for waste handlers. In some facilities, hazardous waste is mixed with general waste, increasing the risk of crosscontamination and disease transmission. Other hospitals still rely on outdated incinerators and open burning systems that release toic emissions into surrounding communities.
Limited funding, weak enforcement, logistical constraints and lack of continuous staff training remain major barriers to effective healthcare waste management.
The current system has a lot of inefficiencies.
When you take the entire chain of medical waste management, it starts from the point of generation. Then you move to wasteation, then you move to storage, you move to transportation, then treatment and then disposal. I can confidently say that at each of these points there are huge gaps. Let's take the point of generation. You go to various healthcare facilities, you realize that training has been conducted to the v healthcare staff. But then where they are generating the waste, there are insufficient logistics for the proper segregation of the waste. So you go to certain facilities within internal storage area like a lab they have just one bin that is sitted there and this bin collects all types of waste be the sharp waste be the infectious waste and also general waste which must all be separated into various containers.
The second stage you move to the storage of the waste. Ideally the beans must be about three all colorcoded all having bean liners inserted in them. You go to the facilities there are huge gaps in all this. Some might have the beans but no bean liner. Some might also have may not even have the number of beans that are even required. At the external storage area too the segregation must continue. And over there there's another huge gap. Some facilities will do well with the internal separation but then when they transporting the waste to the external point they mix everything up and just put it in one bin for one waste contractor to come and pick up the waste. So another huge gap is also identified there. Now the point of transportation there's another huge gap in that the transportation tool must still sustain the segregation. So there might there must be a separate track for the transportation of the general waste generated in healthcare facilities.
There must be another track for the transportation of the hazardous component of the waste. But about 90% of healthcare facilities they all mix everything up and give it to one contractor at the point of treatment that is also another huge gap under conversation its own. We realize that they are inefficient waste treatment systems that currently be used in the country. Some using single chambered incinerators.
Those that even using the double chambered insulators, they are faulty.
Some are using some autoclaves that are outmoded. And various technologies that are indeed are that currently the World Health Organization is not even recommending for the treatment of medical waste. And the final thing is the disposal.
Segregation must still continue. We must have an isolated area where the treated waste is also placed in in that although the waste is treated you are not certain as to whether it is 100% sterile. So you must still take caution by separating or having a segregated place for the disposal of the waste.
>> Poor medical waste management goes beyond hospitals. Its consequences affect entire communities. Improper disposal exposes healthare workers, patients, waste pickers and nearby residents to infections including hepatitis, typhoid and HIV transmission through contaminated sharps and materials. Environmental experts also warned that open burning and poorly managed incineration release harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. Leech from poorly managed disposal sites can contaminate groundwater and nearby water bodies, threatening food systems and drinking water sources. The challenge became even more pronounced during the co9 pandemic when the use of disposal PPE, masks, gloves, and testing materials significantly increase healthcare waste volumes globally.
Despite the challenges, Ghana is making effort towards safer and more sustainable healthcare waste management.
The Ministry of Health launched national healthcare waste management policies and technical guidelines to strengthen regulation and improve standards nationwide. International partnerships are also helping selected hospitals adopt safer technologies such as autoclave systems which sterilize infectious waste without the harmful emissions associated with traditional incineration.
Experts say sustainable medical waste management requires proper segregation at source, continuous staff training, investment in modern treatment technologies, strong enforcement of regulations, adequate PPE for handlers, public private collaboration, monitoring and data systems. Emerging innovations including digital tracking systems and AI assisted waste sorting technologies may further improve efficiency and safety in the future. So with these challenges on board that is where medical services comes in. Medical way services before inception we did a holistic assessment of various healthcare facilities in Ghana identify the gaps that were existing and then we brought in solutions that will solve this permanently and in a more sustainable fashion. So what we do is that right from the point of the waste generation we first of all train all the healthcare facility staff in the proper ways of waste segregation waste storage transportation and final disposal.
We offer certificates of training to this staff. Then we bridge the gap of the lack of waste logistics by providing internal storage bins. This range between about 40 to 60 liter in size. We also provide the colorcoded liners black for general waste, yellow for infectious waste, red for pathological waste and we also add the sharp container facilities that generate pharmaceutical waste and chemical waste. We offer them with a brown bean liner which is in accordance with the color coding system for the Ghana Health Service. When this is in place now, it promotes efficient segregation of the waste.
We as medical waste services what we do is to just only collect the hazardous components of the waste and treat it as such. The other general waste which is non infectious can be handled by any other general waste contractor. So from our end what we do is that also at the external storage we have special beans that we give to our clients beans that are labeled. This is general infectious waste. This is pathological waste and all that. Then we have specialized trucks that are leakp proof they are airtight that when the truck is even moving you realize that there are no emission of order because the truck is totally secure. It has a biohazard label on it giving indication that the the truck is transporting hazardous waste.
So it is this trucks that we use to collect the various hazardous waste from the various healthcare facilities. Now then when the waste is collected it is brought straight to our centralized medical waste treatment plants which are located in various parts of the country.
In fact we have a nationwide coverage and as we speak we are serving over 2,000 healthcare facilities in Ghana both private private public and also NGO facilities and faith based facilities.
All categories of healthcare facilities we are serving them. So with this centralized facility what we have in there is the modernest treatment technologies that you you can talk of in the world. Now we have a microwave treatment system that has internal shredders with this system.
There are no emission of any form of pollutants into the atmosphere. So this is purely non incineration systems that we put in place and this gives us 99.9% sterility of the waste.
>> So you realize that every waste that we bring in there to treat is safe for final disposal. With the system that we put in place you realize that within the centralized facility there's also a cold room >> where we can temporarily store the waste that has been collected in bulk. In this cold room, temperatures of 4°C and below is what we sustain in there. So every form of weather is placed in there the rate of proliferation of the microorganisms are totally reduced. So the composition rate is also reduced. So that is how come we able to store the waste in a hygienic manner.
When the waste is treated, we have another area where we call the container washing room.
>> All the containers used for the various processes are clean, washed over there.
We ensure that the infection prevention control standards are met to the fullest. World Health Organization recommendations on the various processes of medical waste management are fully adhered to. Now when you come to our site, we have our own dedicated landfill site, engineered ones of course where we dispose the final treated waste when we are done. Now as a company we've also taken another step into the future. What are we doing? What we are doing is that the treated waste we are obtaining value from it. So we've started constructing bricks and blocks.
This like this construction pavement blocks and all that with the treated waste. We've also started a research where we are extracting the plastics from the treated waste because let us make of the fact that plastics that are used in the medical industry they are of high grade. Mhm.
>> So they are they of more value than even the conventional plastics that we have.
So in extracting this we are converting this plastics into sharp boxes and sharp containers which can also be used again in the various healthcare facilities for the separation of the shafts such as the needles and the razor and etc. So we realize that our entire chain of operation is promoting
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