Growing frustration and economic hardship have engulfed hundreds of personnel of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) across the country as prolonged salary backlog stretching over 14 months continues to leave workers without remuneration, raising concerns about their welfare and the government’s commitment to the institution.
Investigations conducted by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) revealed that a significant number of personnel recruited into the organisation have not received salaries since assuming duty following the change in government, despite reportedly carrying out official responsibilities in various districts, municipalities and regions nationwide.
The situation has sparked anxiety among affected workers, many of whom say they are struggling to meet basic household needs, pay rent, support their children’s education, and cater for healthcare expenses.
Findings by GNA indicate that the salary challenges affect personnel across different levels of the organisation, including staff attached to district, municipal, and regional offices.
Further investigations revealed that many of the affected personnel have also not been issued official staff identification cards, a development that has generated uncertainty regarding their employment status and raised questions about administrative processes within the organisation.
Some expressed concern that various validation exercises were arranged aimed at facilitating salary processing and later cancelled.
“We have served the nation diligently despite the difficulties. Some colleagues travel long distances to work every day using borrowed money, while others have accumulated debts simply to survive,” they lamented.
Another worker described the situation as “heartbreaking and demoralising,” noting that many personnel have become financially distressed after more than a year without salaries.
“We joined NADMO with the hope of contributing to disaster preparedness and emergency response efforts in our communities, but many of us now feel abandoned. Some workers can no longer afford transportation to their workplaces,” the source stated.
The prolonged delay has reportedly affected morale among personnel, with some workers questioning how public servants can be expected to discharge their duties effectively under such conditions.
Some governance observers say the situation, if not addressed urgently, could undermine operational efficiency within the disaster management agency, which plays a critical role in responding to emergencies, floods, fires, and other disasters across the country.
The affected personnel are therefore appealing to President John Dramani Mahama, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of the Interior, and the leadership of NADMO to intervene and expedite processes leading to the payment of their salary arrears.
They are also calling for clarity regarding their employment status and the issuance of official identification cards to all duly recruited staff to eliminate uncertainty surrounding their engagement.
The workers maintain that while they remain committed to serving the nation, the continued delay in salary payments has imposed severe economic and psychological burdens on them and their families.
As concerns continue to mount, many stakeholders are urging the relevant authorities to provide a clear roadmap for resolving the matter and restoring confidence among personnel who form an important part of Ghana’s disaster management architecture.
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