MP decries obsolete GMet equipment and neglected ISD archives

A member of Parliament’s Committee on Information and Communication, Sulemana Adama, has raised alarm over the deteriorating state of key national institutions.

He warned that without urgent intervention, Ghana risks losing vital services and historical records.

Speaking after a recent oversight visit, Adama said the committee discovered serious challenges at the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) and the Information Services Department (ISD), two agencies he described as critical to the nation’s development.

At GMet, which provides essential data for agriculture, aviation, and marine operations, he revealed that some of the equipment in use dates back nearly a century.

“When we visited GMet, we were shocked to find equipment purchased during Governor Gordon Guggisberg’s era still in use to monitor rainfall. These tools are extremely obsolete,” he disclosed.

Adama stressed that while agencies often present their challenges during budget hearings, the true scale of the problem only becomes clear during field visits.

“When you meet them in Parliament, you don’t fully appreciate the gravity of their issues. Seeing the conditions on the ground shows how badly support is needed,” he said.

Turning to the ISD, Adama expressed deep concern over the neglect of national archives, which contain materials dating back to pre-independence.

“The ISD holds priceless records from the colonial period through to Kwame Nkrumah’s era. Yet these archives are exposed to weather damage, insects, and decay. Without digitisation, we risk losing irreplaceable parts of our history,” he warned.

He emphasised that the oversight visit gave Parliament invaluable firsthand insight into how agencies operate, the condition of their facilities, and the effectiveness of budget allocations.

“Our visit allowed us to assess not just how funds are being used, but also what additional support and legislative reforms are needed to strengthen these institutions,” Adama said.