The Ministry of Interior has inaugurated a ten-member committee to develop a comprehensive programme for national earthquake preparedness and response.
The Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, said the move is in response to the threat of a major earthquake raised by recent tremors in Accra.
The committee, chaired by an engineer, Carlien Bou-Chedid, is expected to finish work by April 15.
“These occurrences are quite worrying because the experts say some tremors may be the warning signal of a major earthquake event,” Mr. Dery said, as he inaugurated the committee. “Should an earthquake hit Ghana today, there will be many unanswered questions.”
The most recent tremor, on March 2, measured 3.9 on the Richter scale.
Members
People living around Gbawe, Sowutuom, Old Kasoa Barrier, New Bortianor, Awoshie, Abelenkpe, Tabora, Achimota, Ablekuma, Kisseiman, Westland, Laterbiokorshie, Legon and McCarthy Hill experienced the tremor.
The committee members include Mrs. Bou-Chedid of the Ghana Institution of Engineers; Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh, director general of National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO); Joseph Ankrah, chief disaster control officer at NADMO; the seismologist Nicholas Opoku of the Ghana Geological Survey Authority; and ACP George Tweneboah, representing the Ghana Police Service.
The other members are Julius Kuunuor of the Ghana National Fire Service; Benedict Arkhurst of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority; Lawrence Ofori-Boadu of the Ghana Health Service; Professor Ahmed Nuhu Zakariah, chief executive officer of the Ghana Ambulance Service, and Colonel M Mustapha, representing the Ghana Armed Forces.
Tremor
Two Saturdays ago, Accra experienced a tremor that senior seismologist Nicholas Opoku described as forty times more powerful than the events experienced last December and January.
He said the incident could be a warning of further tremors or an earthquake, and that Accra must plan and be properly prepared for any disaster, should such an incident occur again.
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