Sunyani (B/A), Nov. 26 GNA – Daniel Kwabena Kpajal, Assistant Divisional Officer II (ADOII) of the Brong-Ahafo Regional Office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), has said the service has made significant breakthroughs in the fight against fire outbreaks in the region.
He said the Service has so far recorded 120 fire outbreaks this year as against 197 the previous year.
He said this during a workshop on Draft Governance Assessment Report study conducted by the Sunyani Municipal Oversight Committee of the National African Peer Review Mechanism (NAPRM) in Sunyani.
The workshop was attended by security agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations, Assembly Members, traditional authorities, as well as women groups and associations.
ADO II Kpajal observed that the decrease in the fire outbreaks showed that residents in the region had now recognized, appreciated and understood the work of the GNFS in fire fighting.
He said as the harmattan drew nearer, the Service had intensified public education on bush and domestic fires and advised the general public, especially farmers, palm wine tapers and hunters, to act with caution in handling naked fires.
ADOII Kpajal said it was during the dry season that the region experienced fire outbreaks and called on the general public to be proactive and support the GNFS to curb bushfires during that season.
Detective Inspector Seth Darkey of the Sunyani Municipal Police Command said armed robbery in the region had also been reduced to the barest minimum.
He said the police were determined to ensure that residents lived without fear and panic and appealed to the general public to assist the police to arrest miscreants by providing information about people with questionable character to the police.
Detective Inspector Darkey said crime prevention was a shared responsibility of all stakeholders and advised the general public to collaborate with the police in promoting peace before, during and after the Christmas festivities.
He warned drivers against drunk-driving, unnecessary over-speeding and over-taking, saying the police would not spare drivers whose activities could lead to road accidents.
Ambassador Alex Ntim Abankwa, a member of the governing council of NAPRM expressed appreciation to the German International Cooperation, Hanns Seidel Foundation, and the Swiss Embassy in Accra for their continuous support in the implementation of the NAPRM.
He explained that the recent uprising in some countries in Africa had brought to the fore the importance and urgency of promoting good governance and embracing governance initiative such as the APRM.
