The Minister for the Interior, Mr Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has called for a national mind-set shift toward safety as a shared civic responsibility.Consequently, he urged both public and private institutions to embed safety into every aspect of the country's development agenda.Addressing participants at the Maiden National Safety Awards held in Accra on Friday, the Minister underscored the urgent need for a cultural transformation where safety becomes a "daily necessity and not a periodic response.""This year's theme, 'Recognizing Excellence, Inspiring the Culture of Safety,' is not just timely, but deeply relevant.
Safety is not a matter of chance.
It is a conscious, collective duty we owe each other as citizens," he noted.The event organised by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and strategic partner TD-TIMAWT, brought together safety professionals, and institutions to recognise the exceptional performance in safety compliance, risk management, and fire safety promotion.Highlighting GNFS's performance, the Minister lauded the Service for exceeding its Internally Generated Funds (IGF) targets for two consecutive years.
In 2023, the Service mobilised GH¢ 4.18 million against a target of GH¢ 2.81 million, representing a 48.6 per cent increase and raised GH¢ 4.55 million, surpassing its GH¢ 3.47 million target by 31.1 per cent increase 2024.He further revealed that GNFS's interventions salvaged over GH¢ 151 million worth of properties in just the first quarter of 2025, a direct economic contribution to national development.In terms of regulatory performance, Mr Mohammed-Mubarak noted that GNFS recorded steady progress, fire safety audits rose by 4.17 per cent from 15,980 in 2023 to 16,646 in 2024, while fire certificates issued increased by 10.77 per cent, from 19,525 to 21,627 within the same period."These figures reflect not only growing public awareness and compliance but also the Service's dedication to saving lives and livelihoods," he said.He applauded TD-TIMAWT for its instrumental role in co-hosting the event and expressed appreciation to sponsors and partners for supporting a shared national vision."Your contribution affirms that investment in safety is investment in progress," he added.To awardees, he said, "Your excellence is not only acknowledged but elevated as a national beacon, Let your recognition serve as a spark for greater vigilance and professionalism."The Minister called on all sectors to adopt a "whole-of-government and whole-of-society" approach to safety.The Acting Chief Fire Officer, Mrs Daniella Mawusi Ntow Sapong, urged the general public to make safety a daily habit and not a reactionary measure.She disclosed that over the past two years, the Service has conducted 32,626 safety inspections, and held over 33,000 public education sessions resulting in property worth over GH¢ 354 million saved from fire damage within the same period.In the first half of 2025 alone, she underscored that GNFS recorded 3,595 fire cases, a marginal increase of 0.53 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.The Chief Fire Officer highlighted new initiatives, including the launch of Fire Service TV and in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service and Ulster University to develop a fire safety syllabus for basic schools as significant steps taken to improve fire safety education.A total of 24 institutions and persons were awarded. BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA
