The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) says it is uncertain when it will deliver relief items promised squatters who suffered a fire tragedy, at the Odawna Railway Line in Accra last weekend.
On Sunday, February 20, 2022, a fire gutted a slum near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, resulting in the death of two people and the destruction of over one thousand structures serving as residences for squatters.
In an interview, the Director of NADMO Korley Klottey, Daniel Odei Appiah, says, although his outfit has completed assessment and recommendations, they are still unsure when the relief items will be made available.
“I send my reports to my regional office, and my regional office sends it to the national headquarters. As of now, I don’t know whether or not it has reached the national headquarters. The relief items are not in my hands, hence I can’t tell if there are even some more relief items at the warehouse or not. There are about 400 beneficiaries as of now.”
Mr. Daniel Obeng Appiah, had promised, a day after the incident occurred, that, the affected persons will by Tuesday, February 22, 2022, receive some relief items.
“We’ve begun assessments, the NADMO team were here yesterday (Sunday), and we are here today as well to ascertain the number of structures, victims that have been affected, the properties that have been lost to help determine the appropriate relief items to bed given.”
“We should be done with the assessments by close of the day. Assessments and recommendation reports will be given to the regions and the regions will forward them to the national level. Depending on what is available, by tomorrow [Tuesday], we will bring some relief to them.”
During a visit to the site by officials of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Korle Klottey Municipal Assemblies, the Mayor of Accra, Elizabeth Sackey, warned displaced dwellers to stay away from the site until investigations are concluded.
“For now, investigations will be going on. I want to plead with all of you, I don’t want to see any structure erected here again until the investigation is over and reports are sent to us. I believe as law-abiding citizens, we would obey these instructions.”
