Ghana's Disaster Management Organisation has been left crippled with over 40 million cedis hanging around its neck.
The debt has left the organization exposed with suppliers refusing to provide any form of relief.
National Coordinator of the Organization Brigadier General Francis Sanziri who appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament said the organization will not be in the position to manage any form of disaster if any were to strike.
National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) was formed in 1996, backed by an act of Parliament (Act 517) to manage disasters and emergencies.
However the organization has been reeling over the years due to lack of funds.
On Wednesday, the man heading the organization painted a gloomy picture of the body tasked to manage disasters in Ghana.
He said the NADMO stores have completely been depleted with the organization owing its suppliers over 80 million cedis in the beginning of the year. The debts included purchases made during the June 3rd 2015 fire and flood disaster which claimed over 150 lives.
He told Parliament the organization submitted the total debts it owed to the Finance Ministry for payment but when a 40million cedis cheque was released it was only for payment of 2015 supplies.
He found it surprising that the Finance Minister specifically asked that the 40 million cedis be used to defray the cost incurred in 2015.
He thought the 2014 debt which was hovering around 40 million cedis would have been paid first.
He said with the suffocating debts, the suppliers no longer take them serious making them vulnerable in the likely event of a disaster.
Brigadier General Sanziri called on the government to intervene and rescue them from the sad state they are in.
But the Executive Director of Safety Ghana, Nana Amihere in a reaction told Joy News NADMO has become a fire fighting organization and must be restructured.
He said the organization, as it is now, is nothing more than job for the boys with no training on disaster management.
He said many of the casualties who died in serious disasters may not have died if NADMO was well resourced and handled by competent people.
"We should have a proper organization with people who are knowledgeable.. Not the job for the boys," he said.
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