Sissala East Commits to Prevention: NADMO and Assembly Launch New DRR Drive on World Day
The Sissala East Municipal Assembly and the Municipal Office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) held a landmark celebration of the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) at Stadium Basic School. The event, hailed as a “novelty” for the municipality by the NADMO Director, focused on the theme: “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters,” underscoring the urgent need to shift focus from costly disaster response to proactive prevention.
The celebration brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including the Municipal Fire Commander, the Municipal Agric Director, an officer from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the NCCE Municipal Director, and the assembly member for Stadium residential who happens to be the Chairman Hon. Ville Mahamud Eshaw, alongside staff and students, signifying a strong, collaborative front against disaster risks.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Adamu B. Yakubu, in an address read by the Municipal Deputy Coordinating Director, Madam Hilda, emphasized the Assembly’s significant investment in long-term resilience and climate-smart development. The MCE’s address highlighted the success of various partner-funded projects. For instance, to combat environmental degradation and bushfires, the Tree for Life Restoration Initiative successfully planted over 74,870 tree seedlings. Furthermore, the Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project (GLRSSMP) maintained 99 hectares of green firebreaks and woodlots, a critical barrier against annual wildfires.
To enhance agricultural resilience against drought and climate shocks, the Assembly, through partners, has installed six solar-powered micro-irrigation systems for dry season farming, funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program. Additionally, the Sustainable Agriculture Development Programme (SADEP) is diversifying livelihoods by distributing approximately 10,050 guinea fowl keets to 1,005 farmers. The MCE affirmed that the Assembly is committed to integrating disaster risk reduction activities into the upcoming 2026-2029 Medium-Term Development Plan to ensure all future development is risk-sensitive.
Municipal NADMO Director, Prince Ali Nansia, whose speech addressed the gathering, focused on the need for immediate community action and the enforcement of the three key phases of disaster management: Preparedness, Response, and Mitigation. Director Nansia was pleased to report a “considerable decrease in fire outbreaks” in 2025, a positive trend he attributed to NADMO’s persistent safety regulations enforcement and public awareness campaigns, particularly in collaboration with the Municipal Fire Service.
To tackle the specific local hazard of bush burning, NADMO took proactive steps by training 511 farmers in the Bawiesibelle zone, Banu Zone, and Santijan Zone areas on how to effectively create a fire belt around their farms to protect their crops. Director Nansia strongly appealed to the public to cooperate with NADMO by maintaining proper sanitation, specifically by desilting choked gutters or waterways and refraining from building on wetlands. He also issued a firm caution to the youth, urging them to “desist from this destructive practice of drug abuse” and instead channel their energy into productive ventures.
Director Nansia concluded by extending appreciation to all partners, including the Ghana Fire Service, Health Service, and Education Service, for their unwavering support in building a safer, stronger, and more resilient Sisaala East Municipality. The celebration successfully reinforced that disaster risk reduction is a shared responsibility that is crucial for sustained local development.
By Bashiru Nuhu Baapagu