GGSA schools journalists on geohazard earthquake disaster reduction
The Director General of the Ghana Geological Service Authority (GGSA), Mr Isaac K. Mwinbelle, has expressed concern about attack on personnel who were on lawful duties in some parts of the country, as community members regarded them as people who explore for small scale mining popularly called galamsey.
Mr Mwinbelle explained that the activities of personnel of the GGSA had nothing to do with small scale mining as being perceived by sections of the public, saying personnel of the Authority research into rock formation, minerals in rocks, possible areas that earthquake could take place, earth tremors, mapping of available mineral deposits and made research findings user-friendly to all stakeholders, among others.
The Director General of the GGSA expressed the concern at a sensitisation workshop on geohazards earthquake disaster risk reduction for journalists in the Volta Region in Ho under the theme: ‘Resourcing the Ghana Geological Survey Authority, A Necessary Tool to Regulate the Extractive Industry.’
The workshop aimed at equipping journalists with the relevant skills to help educate the public on activities of GGSA before, during and after earthquake had taken place and how to ensure public safety at all times.
Mr Mwinbelle announced that recently a staff was arrested in a community in the Eastern Region, and put in police cells for an alleged involvement in illegal mining in the area, and said such was the unfortunate development because before GGSA personnel would carry out their activities in an area, community entry letter would be sent to the communities.
According to the Director General, one of the worrying development that was overlooked in the country was developers clearing and building on hills including kabakaba-hills in Ho of the Volta Regional capital without considering the dangers involved in putting up such buildings.
Mr Mwinbelle, therefore, called for effective collaboration between GGSA, municipal and district assemblies (MDAs) to ensure that developers obtained appropriate documents after the GGSA had approved of the safety of such areas, before developers carried out their activities.
He announced that his outfit had succeeded in mapping up 70 per cent of the country’s land size leaving 40 per cent to be covered, and urged journalists to help the GGSA to carry out education on the work of the GGSA, dangers and safety measures to take during and after an earthquake.
The Head of Seismology unit of the GGSA, Mr Nicholas Opoku, stressed the need for Ghanaians to develop interest in the work of the GGSA to enable them to acquaint themselves with the danger zones likely to suffer from earth tremor, tsunami in the case of the sea and earthquakes.
Mr Opoku noted that this would help them to take precautionary measures by not building in earthquake areas, and the measures to embark upon when trapped during an earthquake in order to enable them to save their lives.
The Chief Director of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC), Mr Augustus Awity, said building on hills posed a threat to life and assured that the VRCC would collaborate with the assemblies and the GGSA to address the problem before it got out of hand.
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, HO
