Patience Gbeze
Accra, Nov. 08, GNA – The National Disaster and Management Organisation (NADMO) has organised a pre-election functional simulation exercise to test its preparedness to combat election-related crises during and after the forthcoming general elections.
The exercise, the second and the last in a series was to train and prepare the remaining 13 regional Emergency Operations Centres of NADMO and all stakeholders in disaster risk management in readiness to respond to any eventualities associated with the forthcoming elections.
It was funded by the United Nations Agencies with technical support from UN Interagency Working Group Emergencies.
The first exercise, the full scale was conducted in three regions, namely the Northern region, the Greater Accra region and the Ashanti region.
Mr Seji Saji Amedonu, the Director General of NADMO in charge of Technical and Reforms, said Ghanaians have just a few weeks to go to the poll, hence, the need to prepare themselves to avert any eventualities.
He said the exercise ensured harmonization and coordination of efforts of all stakeholders to enable them to yield optimum results. He also urged all participating institutions and agencies to be serious and professional about the task.
He said elections were supposed to be calm and solemn, “however, the politics of the world overrules that of incident-free logic.”
Mr Amedonu said Ghana was not an exception when it came to election-related violence and crisis, and the same applies to her counterparts in the West Africa Subregion.
“It dawned on us, therefore, that we need to sit up, so we are not caught up in surprises. For sure no election has gone on in Ghana completely incident-free.
“The ongoing political campaigns are characterised by threats and counter threats. We of the humanitarian fraternity will want to foresee and prepare for any humanitarian consequences that could arise in the face of an electioneering crisis,” he added.
The Director General, therefore, urged the exercise evaluators to boldly bring out the gaps or shortfalls to help them improve their skills.
Mr. Daniel Tagoe, the National Programme Officer, IOM Ghana on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, commended NADMO and other Government Agencies for their unwavering dedication to fostering a peaceful and secure environment as the country prepares for the forthcoming elections.
He said elections were not isolated events but complex processes that required comprehensive planning, coordination and preparedness at all levels of society.
“While we strive for peaceful electoral outcomes, it is vital to remain prepared for any potential disruption,” he said and praised NADMO for spearheading the initiative, which reflects Ghana’s commitment to disaster preparedness and crisis management in the electoral process.
He, therefore, pledged the UN Country Team and development partners’ continued commitment and strong partnership on emergency response and humanitarian coordination in Ghana.
GNA