The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) together with the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) is to conduct fire audit in all senior high schools (SHS) across the Ashanti Region as part of measures to stop the frequent fire outbreaks.
Simon Osei-Mensah, the Regional Minister, said this exercise would be supported by Prefos, an electrical engineering company.
He said electrical wiring of the schools would be carefully assessed and appropriate steps taken to prevent any accidents.
He made this known when he visited the Konongo-Odumasi SHS, in the Asante-Akim Central Municipality to inspect damage caused to the boys’ dormitory block, by fire that swept through it, last Saturday.
He was accompanied by Mrs Mary Owusu-Achiaw, the Regional Education Director, and officials from the municipal assembly and education directorate.
The “House Six†dormitory block was completely levelled and everything in the rooms lost.
Mr Osei-Mensah presented roofing sheets, mattresses, blankets, treated mosquito nets, buckets, plastic bowls, cups and consumables to the affected students.
He said these were meant to help give some comfort to the disaster victims to enable them to concentrate on their studies. Â
He added that everybody should be relieved by the fact that nobody got hurt in the incident and said: “we should be thankful to God for thatâ€.
The Minister commended personnel of the GNFS for the prompt response that helped to contain and prevent the blaze from spreading to other buildings.
He advised the students to be careful in their handling of electricity – the use of electrical appliances.
Kwabena Nsenkyire, the Regional NADMO Coordinator, expressed concern about the increasing incidents of fire in schools and said it called for thorough investigation.
Prempeh College, Opoku Ware SHS, Kumasi Secondary Technical School (KSTS) and T.I Ahmadiyya at Adansi Fomena, had all in recent times been hit by fire disasters.