The National Service Scheme (NSS) has announced that it has collected 600 bags of maize, which will be distributed to Senior High Schools (SHSs) nationwide.
The scheme, as part of the Economic Enclave Project under the GhanaCARES “Obaatan Pa” initiative, successfully harvested more than 600 bags of maize. These bags have now been handed over to the Ministry of Education for distribution to schools across the country to support the school feeding program.
Ambrose Entsiwah, the Acting Head of Corporate Affairs at NSS, provided this information in an interview with Citi News in Accra.
“We have actually so far prepared and bagged 600 bags to be sent to some of the Free SHSs to augment their feeding stock for the students… We still have some of the maize on the farm yet to be harvested.”
“So when we are able to do that then we will be able to tell the number of bags that will come out of the next harvesting which will be done very soon. But that will be dependent on the fact that the Ministry will have to take a decision on which of the schools will benefit.”
Mr. Entsiwah emphasized that 50 NSS personnel from various agricultural institutions across the country are responsible for farm-related activities. These individuals can anticipate employment opportunities after completing their service.
Furthermore, he noted that the initial harvest from the farms managed by the National Service Scheme (NSS) is projected to yield approximately 1,000 bags of rice.
These rice supplies will help bolster food provisions for schools participating in the Free Senior High School program.
The Ghana National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) is calling on the National Service Scheme (NSS) to promptly disburse the outstanding allowances owed to its members.
The NSS owes its personnel two months’ worth of allowances, causing significant financial strain for the affected individuals.
Although the NSS recently increased beneficiaries’ allowances from GHS 559 to GHS 713 to help them cope with economic challenges, the outstanding arrears remain unpaid, impacting service personnel nationwide.
Oppong Siaw, President of the La Nkwantanang group, expressed the difficulties faced by NSS personnel due to the delay in allowance payments.
He highlighted that despite assurances from the Executive Director of the NSS, Osei Assibey, that the arrears would be disbursed to their e-zwich accounts, the payments had not been received as promised.
Siaw emphasized the financial strain this delay has caused, as many personnel are forced to borrow money for daily expenses, including transportation and food. He noted that the delay has left personnel feeling frustrated and disheartened, given their dedication to their roles.
“On August 18, there was an event where the Executive Director, Osei Assibey, was present and some of the service personnel asked him when the arrears would be paid. He made it clear that permission had been granted for the arrears to be disbursed to our various e-zwich accounts and that we should be expecting it last week.”
“However, as of now, the personnel have still not been paid. The personnel are hungry and tired because they feel that their work has been in vain. Most of them are just borrowing money for transportation and food,” he said.
The government is poised to commence the distribution of the initial harvest from farms operated by the National Service Scheme (NSS) as part of its effort to boost food supplies for schools participating in the free Senior High School (SHS) program.
Through the Economic Enclave Project, a component of the GhanaCARES “Obaatan Pa” initiative, more than 500 bags of maize have been harvested and are awaiting distribution to schools.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, conducted a site visit to the Economic Enclave Project site situated in Sekyere Kumawu within the Ashanti Region to assess the progress of agricultural activities.
The project is being carried out in three prominent regions: Greater Accra, Oti, and Ashanti.
At the Sekyere Kumawu farms, managed by the National Service Scheme, a vast expanse of over 20,000 acres has been cultivated, with some crops already being harvested.
The initial phase of the project involves cultivating maize, soybeans, and rice on these expansive fields.
Osei Assibey Antwi, the Executive Director of NSS, emphasized that the produce from these farms is intended to support the School Feeding Programme and the free SHS initiative. He added that an MoU has been signed with the Poultry Farmers Association to expand the impact nationally.
The Education Minister believes that locally sourced food commodities will reduce the cost of the feeding program and enhance its sustainability, as the purchases will be made at more affordable prices directly from the warehouse.
Furthermore, the Minister hinted at the government’s plans to reintroduce school farms to provide students with hands-on experience in agriculture, thus contributing to the sustainability of school feeding projects.
Currently, fifty personnel from various agricultural institutions across the country, enlisted under the National Service Scheme, oversee activities on these farms, ensuring job opportunities for them.
The overarching objective of the Economic Enclave Project is to furnish agricultural infrastructure and land development support to young entrepreneurs and the formal private sector, aligning with the goals of the “Obaatan Pa” initiative.
The National Service Secretariat (NSS) has revealed its intention to distribute overdue allowances for the first half of 2023 to Scheme personnel.
This initiative follows the approval of a substantial increase in monthly stipends for National Service participants, raising it from GH¢559 to GH¢715.57.
Speaking to the media, acting head of corporate affairs for the NSS, Ambrose Entsiwah Junior, stated that the revised allowance’s payment would be retroactively applied to January and disbursed to personnel.
Clearing the outstanding payments, he said, “We were owing them [NSS personnel] for the month of June and July together with the arrears and last Friday, we paid them the June allowances, and we are working toward paying them the arrears which had been approved by the Ministry of Finance, and we have asked them to submit their data.”
Anticipating swift action, he added, “Maximum two weeks, we will pay the arrears from January to June, and after we have paid the arrears, we will pay the July allowance with the new rate.”
The Management of the National Service Scheme (NSS) has announced the release of PIN Codes for 142,381 final year students from 125 accredited tertiary institutions in the country.
These students are set to undertake their mandatory national service during the 2023/2024 service year.
Please note that this count does not include individual defaulters who have applied for enrollment into this year’s national service.
In an official statement signed by Ambrose Entsiwah Jnr, the Ag. Director of Corporate Affairs of NSS, eligible final year Ghanaian students are advised to visit the Scheme’s website at www.nss.gov.gh.
There, they can access their PIN Codes using their respective school Index Numbers and Date of Birth.
To complete the enrollment process, students must make a payment of GH¢40.00 at any branch of ADB Bank Ltd. Alternatively, they can use the MTN MoMo platform and pay GH¢41.00.
“The next step is to proceed to any branch of ADB Bank Ltd. to make payment of GH¢40.00; or alternatively, through MTN MoMo platform for GH¢41.00, to activate the enrollment process,” he added.
“Management urges accredited tertiary institutions that are yet to submit their supplementary final year lists, to do so as soon as possible, to enable the Scheme process them also for enrolment for the 2023/2024 national service. All eligible final-year Ghanaian students are advised to ensure that they personally complete the enrollment process to avoid errors that may subsequently affect processing for their deployment,” he added.
The registration deadline is set for Saturday, August 19, 2023. Management encourages accredited tertiary institutions that have not yet submitted their supplementary final year lists to do so promptly.
This will enable the Scheme to process their students for enrollment in the 2023/2024 national service.
Furthermore, all eligible final-year Ghanaian students are strongly advised to personally complete the enrollment process to avoid potential errors that could affect the processing of their deployment.
Management of the National Service Scheme (NSS) has secured government approval for upward adjustment of monthly allowances for National Service Personnel from GHS559.04 to GHS715.57, with effect from January, 2023.
The approval, which was contained in a letter dated 18th July, 2023 and signed by the Deputy Minister for Finance, Hon. Abena Osei-Asare (MP), was as a result of series of engagements between National Service Scheme, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and the Ministry of Finance.
The letter also directed the Controller and Accountant-General to give effect to the new levels of the personnel allowances.
In effect, all National Service Personnel who are currently in active service are entitled to arrears for the difference in the upward adjustment from January, 2023, and would be paid accordingly.
The Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Osei Assibey Antwi, has revealed that the 2023/2024 batch of National Service Personnel assigned to educational institutes will undergo a mandatory one-month training to equip them after completing their service.
Non-education college or university graduates posted to teach in schools will receive training to enhance their teaching skills and contribute to the nation’s development beyond the one-year service period.
The 2022/2023 batch is set to conclude their service in October 2023, paving the way for the next batch.
Mr. Assibey Antwi expects 60 to 70 percent of the 2023/2024 batch to be posted to the private sector, collaborating with the National Teaching Council and other educational stakeholders. Trainees will receive certificates upon completion.
The NSS aims to equip graduates for the future workforce and plans to deploy a significant number of Science and Technology graduates to the private sector, catering to the demands of the private sector for such personnel.
Mr. Assibey Antwi clarified that the NSS owes only one month of arrears to the current batch of Service Personnel, debunking rumors of multiple months of unpaid allowances. The payment format differs from the country’s standard, leading to misconceptions and speculations.
TheNational Service Scheme(NSS) has announced that the Personal Identification Number (PIN) codes for nursing trainees who will be performing their one-year mandated national service in the next service year 2023/2024 have been released.
These 12,594 Ghanaian final-year nursing trainees, hailing from 107 accredited Nursing Training Institutions across the country, have fulfilled the criteria set by the Nurses and Midwives Council, Ghana Health Service, and Ministry of Health, thus making them eligible for deployment during their national service.
In a press release issued in Accra and signed by Mr. Ambrose Entsiwah Jnr, the Acting Director of Corporate Affairs of the National Service Scheme, eligible nursing trainees were urged to visit the NSS website (www.nss.gov.gh) and navigate to the “Applications” menu.
By using their assigned Students’ ID or Index Numbers from their institutions, they could acquire their unique NSS enrollment PIN Codes. Subsequently, they were required to make a payment of GHC40.00 at any branch of ADB Bank Ltd. or GHC41.00 through the MTN MoMo platform to activate the enrollment process.
The statement emphasized the importance for nursing trainees to personally complete the enrollment process in order to avoid any minor mistakes that might impact their subsequent deployment.
To ensure inclusion in this year’s postings, all eligible nursing trainees were advised to complete the enrollment process before the deadline of Friday, June 9, 2023.
It is expected that this initiative by the NSS will facilitate the smooth enrollment and deployment of qualified nursing trainees, enabling them to contribute to national service within the healthcare sector.
A National Service Person teaching at Sehwi Asawinso Methodist Primary B in the Sehwi Wiawso Municipality of the Western North Region has been arrested for allegedly defiling three of his students.
The suspect, Bismark Ansu, has been remanded into police custody by the Bibiani Circuit Court and is to reappear before the court on 29th May 2023.
He has been charged with three offenses; i) threat of death contrary to section 75 of the criminal offences 1960 [ACT 29], ii) defilement contrary to section 101 of criminal offences 1960 [ACT 29], and iii) threat of harm contrary to section 74 of the criminal offences 1960 [ACT 29].
Per reports from the court, Bismark reportedly managed to defile the minors in January 2023 in his house while holding extra classes to ensure he completes the syllabus.
This initiative is said to have not been approved by the school authorities.
It was only after the victims between the age of 8 and 9 started complaining of abnormal blood discharges that the alleged action came to light.
According to reports, the students kept silence in fear of losing their lives.
Following this, a report was made to the police at Sehwi Asawinso and a medical form was issued to the complainants to take the victims to any government hospital for examination, treatment, and endorsement, all of which corroborated the defilement claims.
The accused person was subsequently arrested. Meanwhile, the victims are responding to treatment.
The Management of the National Service Scheme (NSS) has released postings for 15,517 trained teachers.
The trained teachers were enrolled to undertake their mandatory national service for the 2023/2024 service year.
In a statement signed by the NSS Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, it said, “The Management of the National Service Scheme (NSS) has today, 20th January 2023, released postings of a total of FIFTEEN THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN (15,517) trained teachers who enrolled to undertake their mandatory national service for the 2023/2024 service year”.
The statement further directed the trained teachers to check their placements via its website.
“All eligible trained teachers are required to log onto the Scheme’s website at https://www.nss.gov.gh to check their placements and proceed to print their appointment letters for endorsement by respective user agencies. Regional validation and registration for prospective service personnel will begin on 20th January 2023 and end on 28th February 2023 at all NSS regional centres across the country,” the statement indicated.
The statement admonished service personnel deployed to accept their postings.
The statement advised, “All service personnel deployed are hereby entreated to accept their postings as part of their civic responsibilities and contributions towards national development. The Management extends best wishes to you all”.
However, the statement further instructed prospective service personnel to begin their national service on February 6, 2023.
“The Management further directs all prospective service personnel to begin their national service on 6th February 2022, after completing the registration process,” the statement said.
For verbally harassing a nurse at the Manhyia Government Hospital, the director of the National Service Scheme (NSS) in the Ashanti Region, Alex Opoku Mensah, has been suspended for two months without pay.
Following an emergency meeting after the incident in November 2022, the NSS on December 1, 2022, temporarily suspended him to allow for investigations.
However, according to a recent instruction from the NSS, Mr. Opoku-Mensah has been placed on paid leave for a period of two months. The suspension is effective right away.
This occurred when a committee finished its task and turned in its report to Management.
According to reports, Mr. Opoku-Mensah verbally assaulted a nurse over how the medical professional interacted with his daughter, who works as a doctor at the facility.
Because the medication the house officer had ordered wasn’t available at the pharmacy, the nurse had to call him to change a prescription.
The house officer reportedly objected because of how the nurse spoke to her, according to the Medical Superintendent, Dr. Hussein.
When the house officer called the nurse on the phone, Dr. Hussein said that she just so happened to be with her father. As a result, Mr. Opoku-Mensah was furious about the situation and went with his daughter to the hospital.
Alex Opoku-Mensah has since apologised for his actions and said he is not known to be abusive or violent.
In an audio recording that has gone viral, Mr Opoku-Mensah said, “you are very frustrated…Who born dog?…you envy her, and you don’t respect. Are you a doctor? Who are you? Are you mad? Is the hospital yours? Stupid idiot.. that your useless nursing that you do, useless woman… Do you know who I am? I am the Regional Director of the National Service Scheme. Some of you are under me.”
But the headquarters of the scheme would have none of that as the situation triggered an uproar from some health associations.
The latest development also demands that the embattled Ashanti Regional boss apologises to the NSS for bringing its name into disrepute through his action.
Ghanaians have been reacting to the audio of the AshantiRegional NSS director, Alex Opoku-Mensah, verbally abusing a nurse at the Manhyia Hospital.
They two were engaged in a heated argument. This according to reports occurred after the nurse called the daughter of the NSS boss who is a house officer to suggest a change in prescription because what the latter prescribed was unavailable at the pharmacy.
According to further reports the house officer took offence at how the nurse spoke with her, thus protested.
Further reports indicate that the house officer was in the company of her father when she spoke with the nurse on phone. As such, Mr. Opoku-Mensah was infuriated by the turn of events and followed his daughter to the hospital.
In an audio recording that has gone viral, Mr. Opoku-Mensah said, “you are very frustrated…Who born dog?…you envy her, you don’t respect. Are you a doctor? Who are you? Are you mad? Is the hospital yours? Stupid idiot.. that your useless nursing that you do, useless woman… Do you know who I am? I am the Regional Director of National Service Scheme. Some of you are under me.”
The NSS director has come under heavy fire over this act. Scores of celebrities have been commenting on the development. Actress Lydia Forsonhas condemned the act, stressing that there was no justification for it.
Reacting to a comment from a netizen who accused the actress of not knowing the facts of the matter before commenting on it, she said “what FACTS will justify his presence there and the things he said? Even if the nurse was rude, intimidating and all the other allegations against her; it did NOT warrant the things the father said or his presence there. That’s the case here, nothing more.”
The NSS Ashanti regional director sounds like one of those parents who would line their children up when guests visit to mention their education level, profession and achievements to make himself feel good.
Akosua, tell them you won award last week, kwame you too you 😂😂😂
Ghanaian presenter, Bridget Otoo also reacted to the issue.
What FACTS will justify his presence there and the things he said?
Even if the nurse was rude, intimidating and all the other allegations against her; it did NOT warrant the things the father said or his presence there.
Meanwhile, management of the National Service Secretariat (NSS) has taken up the matter. It announced in a statement on November 29, 2022 that it has commenced investigations into the matter.
Currently NSS has indicated that it has invited its Ashanti Regional Director for preliminary investigations.
The Management of the National Service Scheme (NSS) has invited its Ashanti Regional Director for preliminary investigations.
Alex Opoku-Mensah is said to have verbally abused a nurse at the Manhyia Hospital for the manner in which the healthcare provider spoke with his daughter.
The nurse had called the house officer to suggest a change in prescription because what the latter prescribed was unavailable at the pharmacy.
According to the Medical Superintendent, Dr Hussein, the house officer is said to have taken offence at how the nurse spoke with her, thus protested.
Dr. Hussein said, the house officer happened to have been in the company of her father when she spoke with the nurse on phone. As such, Mr. Opoku-Mensah was infuriated by the turn of events and followed his daughter to the hospital.
In an audio recording that has gone viral, Mr. Opoku-Mensah said, “you are very frustrated…Who born dog?…you envy her, you don’t respect. Are you a doctor? Who are you? Are you mad? Is the hospital yours? Stupid idiot.. that your useless nursing that you do, useless woman… Do you know who I am? I am the Regional Director of National Service Scheme. Some of you are under me.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the NSS described the incident as “unfortunate” and apologised for it.
“The Management of the Scheme wishes to reiterate its commitment and assurances to the public and the nursing fraternity of our dedication to getting this matter resolved,” parts of the release read.
Twenty-four hours after the incident, Mr Opoku-Mensah rendered an unqualified apology noting that “that is not my style.”
Nonetheless, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has since issued a statement calling for the immediate removal of Mr Opoku-Mensah from office for the misbehaviour.
“The Public Services Commission and Government for that matter should sack the said Regional Director immediately because he is not fit for the director position he holds in public service.
“He had absolutely no right to enter Manhyia hospital and verbally abuse and threaten the nurse in question who was on duty at the time,” the statement read.
The nurses threatened that they will call upon their members at the facility to boycott their duties if Mr Opoku-Mensah is not sacked within the next 72 hours.
The Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Secretariat (NSS), Alex Opoku-Mensah has made an unqualified apology for verbally assaulting a nurse at the Manhyia Hospital.
The Nurse corrected his daughter’s wrongful prescription for a two-year-old convulsion patient.
Mr Opoku-Mensah stated on Facebook that the method he used to deal with the conflict between his daughter, a doctor, and the nurse “has never been my style.”
He attempted to mediate the dispute between the two because he considered the nurse involved to be his daughter as well.
He was therefore remorseful of his behaviour.
“I do apologise for any mishap and assure all, there shall not be a repetition of such,” he promised.
On Monday morning, Mr Opoku Mensah was reported to have barged into the surgical ward of the hospital, where his daughter is currently serving as a house officer, to verbally abuse and threaten the nurse.
According to eyewitnesses, the medical officer prescribed the wrong dosage for a two-year-old convulsion patient.
The nurse upon noticing the medical blunder called on the young doctor to rectify the wrongful medication.
However, sources say the house officer took offence and reported the issue to her father who later visited the health facility to angrily insult the nurse.
“The Public Services Commission and Government for that matter should sack the said Regional Director immediately because he is not fit for the director position he holds in public service.
“He had absolutely no right to enter Manhyia hospital and verbally abuse and threaten the nurse in question who was on duty at the time,” the statement read.
The nurses threatened that they will call upon their members at the facility to boycott their duties if Mr. Opoku-Mensah is not sacked within the next 72 hours.
The leadership of the National Union of GhanaStudents(NUGS) has appealed to President Nana Akufo-Addo to increase the National Service Allowance from GHS 559 to GH¢800, especially in the face of the rising cost of transportation and general expenses.
The student body has also requested the President to direct that the increment of all School and Accommodation fees by Public Tertiary Institutions should be halted for 2022/2023 academic year, as a way of cushioning the Tertiary students in these hard times.
NUGS believes this is a bold and practical step towards mitigating the challenges of our students.
These appeals were made when NUGS led by its President Dennis Appiah Larbi-Ampofo met the President at the Jubilee House on the 3rd of November, 2022, in line with the President’s engagement and consultation over the country’s current economic situation.
The meeting was aimed at taking input from the union in the management of the current economic crisis and also rallying the student front to understand the issues that confront the country.
NUGS in a statement issued after the meeting said: “We believe that the Student Loan Trust Fund should as a matter of urgency receive funding and right budgetary support to ensure that vulnerable students receive their loan disbursement as soon as possible. The fund has arrears from the first semester and non-payment for the whole of the second semester.
“We also indicated to the President the pressing nature of the unpaid scholarships to students. In general, we requested that more room should be afforded to the union in further discussions throughout these times and towards the Economic Management’s work, the team at the secretariat will be developing a comprehensive input to be submitted in that regard,”
The statement added: “It is the sincere belief of the leadership of the unionthat these times deserve the support of all young people and we are willing to support our country but just as we mentioned to His Excellency the President, the call and rallying of young people to support should be met with some commitments from the government as that indicates the will to support young people.”
Two Students aspiring to become President and Vice President of the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the Ghana Communication Technology University have promised to institute transformational leadership that will inure to the benefit of the school.
The Students; Enoch Nii Ahene Nunoo, a Level 300 Bsc Information Technology who is aspiring to become the SRC President and Eunice Benjotim Notob, a level 300 Bsc Management student vying for the SRC Vice Presidential position have also promised to bring in policies that would uplift the image of the University and enhance the performance of students outside school.
In a joint policy statement copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday the two Aspirants said they had learnt a lot from behind the scenes and aspire to improve student well-being on campus.
In the academia sector, the Aspirants promised Scholarship opportunities for the students to acquire more knowledge in and outside the shores of the country.
“Just like the past administrations that started an International School Fair to educate students on international scholarships, we will follow suit, as we have realized its need among students. More student entrepreneurs will have the privilege of selling their goods and providing services to the student body and also have the opportunity to advertise during school events”.
On internship they promised to aid students with internships and National Service Scheme opportunities from organizations such as Stanford Seed Ghana who were already into such programmes for the youth.
They said Proper training of students for USAG programmes would ensure that the performance of students in competitions at the national level would raise the flag of GCTU high.
On international exchange programmes, “We will partner AIESEC to help students explore international Exchange Programmes and help them explore different styles of education and expand their employment opportunities.
“Internet connectivity on all campuses will be improved (especially on the Abeka Campus, while attempts will be made to extend school Wi-Fi coverage to nearby hostels.
The statement said on Healthcare, Sanitation and Welfare, Students’ healthcare was closely linked to their academic performance and the Enoch and Eunice agenda would ensure students got quality healthcare, not neglecting the many sanitation issues in the school.
On food on campus, they promised to find another solution to the lack of food variety, since the Bush Canteen would soon be reconstructed and the Abeka Campus Cafeterias were not functioning effectively.
“Guidance is a great asset to students on campus, in terms of their emotional and psychological well-being. Students make decisions daily, and those decisions go a long way to affecting their lives and futures. We will liaise with the guidance and counselling team to adopt new ways to enhance the provision of guidance and counselling to students”.
On Sports, the duo promised to aid students with a passion for sports, to have access to scholarship programmes and sporting would become a more vibrant part of campus life, as a variety of games (SRC games & Inter-hostel/faculty/campus games) would be organized to unearth talents in students.
“We will also collaborate with external bodies to organize games (USAG Games) and maintain the football pitch and provide more sporting items.
“Classrooms, sporting facilities, washrooms and other outdoor infrastructure will be maintained regularly to ensure constant availability. The renovation and transformation of classrooms on the C-Block into Learning Hubs will be taken up by the SRC and made widespread.
“Foreign students are paramount to the international recognition of our noble institution. The ratio of international students to national students is about 1 to 100. We intend to partner hostels to accommodate international students, have English tutorials for them (Lookupp), as well as Peer Mentorship programmes for ISA.
“We will also aid them with their resident permits, help resolve the high tuition fee rate. Renovation of International Students’ Hostel for the international students. Priority will be given to international students and students from outside Accra in the allocation of rooms”.
In the Promotion of Women in STEM the statement said, “All over the world, the percentage of women working in STEM fields is less, even more so in Ghana. However, without the presence of women in the STEM fields, innovation will be limited and will exclude half of the population. We need more women in STEM to further innovation and represent the needs of society. That is why we will take initiatives (with WOCOM) to organize educative programmes for women to educate them on the importance of being in the STEM fields and put support systems in place to motivate and support them.
On Extra-Curricular Activities the Aspirants promised to create an avenue for students to have fun and socialize, to build strong networks for the future.
“Hence, Clubs like debate, game, cook, and chess clubs will be formed. A library management system will be developed to assist the library staff in their duties. Finally, the revamp of the much-anticipated SRC week, filled with a variety of activities that will keep students excited.
We are passionate about patriotism, genuine leadership and development, and will inculcate these into fellow students, especially because transformational leadership is where we focus in our style of leadership, where student leaders will be trained to prepare them for various roles for development.
The Deputy National Youth Organiser of the National Democratic Congress, , has urged President Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency increase the allowance given to personnel of the National Service Scheme (NSS).
In a letter addressed to the president, which was sighted by GhanaWeb, Agbana said that the GH¢559 allowance has not been increased for the past 6 years despite the worsening economic conditions in the country.
He added that the fact that the Akufo-Addo government has not increased the allowance since 2016 is very worrying because every government since the inception of the scheme has increased it to help improve the livelihood of the personnel.
“Your excellency, there can be no doubt that the country is facing unprecedented economic challenges. This is evidenced by the rising inflationary pressures on basic food supplies, fuel and transport, the depreciation in the value of our local currency and the ripple effect these have on other vital sectors of the economy.
“For the young people of this country, national service personnel, in particular, there seems to be no end in sight as they reel under the pangs of the economic hardship. A monthly allowance of about US$43, being the equivalent of GH¢559, is simply unsustainable as the value of the cedi plummets against the rising cost of living.
“More than ever before, Mr. President, we must match the enthusiasm and hard work of our national service personnel with improved allowance packages to cushion them and enable them to navigate these hard economic times,” parts of the later read.
Meanwhile, the Management of NSS has announced the release of the 2022/2023 National Service postings.
A total of One hundred and fifteen thousand, two hundred and forty (115,240) prospective national service personnel enrolled to undertake their mandatory national service for the 2022/2023 service year.
A statement issued by the NSS said: “The prospective service personnel include the year 2022 eligible Ghanaian graduates from accredited tertiary institutions in the country, defaulters who submitted their applications for postings, and private registrants.”
The NSS urged prospective service personnel to log onto the scheme’s website, “to check their placements.”
The National Service Secretariat has released the 2022/2023 national service postings.
The release of the postings was announced in a press statement issued Wednesday afternoon.
The press statement signed and issued by the Executive Secretary of the NSS, Osei Assibey Antwi, said a total of 115,240 prospective national service personnel who enrolled to undertake their mandatory service have been posted.
The number includes those who enrolled from accredited tertiary institutions in Ghana this year and those who defaulted in the previous years and private registrants.
It said printing of appointment letters by service personnel and endorsements by respective user agencies can only be done from Monday, October 17, 2022 .
However, validation and registration at all regional centres across the country would begin from Monday October 24, 2022 till Friday December 30, 2022.
Below is a copy of the press release by the NSS
PRESS RELEASE
NSS RELEASES POSTINGS FOR 2022/2023 SERVICE YEAR
Today, OCTOBER 12, 2022, the Management of the National Service Scheme (NSS) has released the postings of a total of ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY (115,240) prospective national service personnel who enrolled to undertake their mandatory national service for the 2022/2023 service year.
The prospective service personnel include the year 2022 eligible Ghanaian graduates from accredited tertiary institutions in the country, defaulters who submitted their applications for postings, and private registrants.
Prospective national service personnel should log onto the Scheme’s website at http://www.nss.gov.gh to check their placements.
Printing of appointment letters by service personnel and endorsements by respective user agencies can only be done from Monday, October 17, 2022 However, validation and registration at all regional centres across the country would begin on Monday, October 24, 2022, and continue bill FRIDAY, December 30, 2022, to accommodate prospective service personnel who are yet to complete their academic programmes.
To minimize excessive crowding at the validation centres, all national service personnel must schedule appointments online and visit the validation centres on the scheduled date and time for validation with strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocol
The Management further directs all prospective service personnel who have been duly posted, accepted by their user agencies, and validated by the NSS, to begin their national service on Tuesday, November 1, 2022.
All national service personnel who have been deployed are hereby entreated to accept their postings as part of their divic obligations and contributions to national development.
The Management extends its best wishes to you all.
The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has revealed that over GH¢400 million has been lost by the state due to ghost names on the Social Security and National Insurance Trust SSNIT pension scheme and the National Service Scheme.
Speaking at the 2021 Civil Service Awards Night in Accra, Dr Bawumia, noted that the use of Ghana’s unique identification system helped government in identifying about 27,000 to 14,000 ghost names registered on SSNIT and NSS respectively.
“14,000 ghost names were recently found at the National Service because there was no unique identity. Just a couple of days ago, SSNIT found 27,000 ghost names, and they were being paid GH¢327 million. Just these two institutions have cost us over GH¢400 million,†Dr. Bawumia said while speaking at the 2021 Civil Service Awards Night in Accra.
The head of the economic management team noted that the unique identification system introduced by the Akufo-Addo government would deal with ghost names on the government’s payroll.
Highlighting the relevance of the Ghana Card, Dr Bawumia asserted that the growing menace especially in public institutions will be nipped in the bud.
For him, the National Identification Card is more beneficial than 1,000 interchanges.
“Today, we have 16 million Ghanaians with unique identities, and that is a major transformation. A lot of people sometimes do not appreciate its impact. If you gave me 1000 interchanges and the Ghana Card, I would choose the Ghana Card because it has more impact,†Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said.
Justifying his stand to choose the Ghana card over 1000 interchanges, Dr Bawumia stated that with the unique identification system, individuals who do not qualify to benefit from the scheme will be exposed.
“It seems my Ghana card statement was misinterpreted. I want people to think about it critically. For the first time in our history, we have a unique identity system which is biometric, and so we can identify individuals. With this, the case of ghost names on our public sector system will become a thing of the past,” he explained.
Ghanaians participating in the country’s required service, National Service Scheme (NSS)Â believe they are the most affected by the Ghana Private Road Transport Union’s 20% increase in transport fares on May 7.
Christian Yalley expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that transportation consumes more than half of his monthly allowance of GH559.04.
Due to the nature of his profession, he commutes from Legon to Kokomlemle every weekday and occasionally on weekends. He used to pay GH4 to get from Legon to Kwame Nkrumah Circle, but now he has to spend GH5.
He should typically pay GH4.80 as the new fare to reflect the 20% increase.
“Now when you move from Circle to Legon, you pay GH6 instead of GH5. I used to pay GH9.00 daily for transportation but now it is GH11. This has really become a fly in the ointment for me and it is the same with other NSS persons.â€
Based on the number of days he works in a month, he spends about GH330 on transportation.
Christian now has GH229.04 to spend on food, health, and emergencies.
“That is really biting hard considering the meager allowance we receive as National Service Personnel.â€
Another NSS source, who asked to remain anonymous, expressed concern about the deteriorating situation.
Kojo (not his real name) spends nearly GH20 to go from Kotobabi to his workplace in Korle-Bu and back. He crosses the GH20 threshold due to an unforeseeable situation.
Working 20 days in a month means devoting GH400 on transportation, leaving him with less than GH200 to live on.
They believe that an increase in the allowance offered to NSS workers would be sufficient to protect them from the country’s exorbitant living costs.
“One way this could be rectified is increasing the allowance. If a GH100 or GH200 is added to the existing GH559 that we take, that could cushion most of us.
GPRTUÂ previously urged Ghanaians to understand why they had to raise transportation fares by 20%.
The rise in transportation expenses, according to Mr. Godfred Abulbire, the Union’s General Secretary, is intended to allow Union members to pay the cost of maintenance and service supply while reducing the effects of rising fuel prices.
Mr Abulbire claimed that the pricing may have been higher, but leadership chose not to take into account the rise in spare component prices and insurance company fees.
“Most of our members from the regions, drew our attention to the fact that we should let them charge 20 per cent for the fact that most of the citizens are not (in the best position). Leadership understood that and readdressed them to increase by 20 per cent. We are limiting our increment based on fuel. Our fares being increased by 20 per cent is fair,†he told Citinews.
The National Service Scheme has provided a window of opportunity for Ghanaians who completed tertiary educations years ago but could not undertake their national service to do so in the 2022/2023 service year.
In a statement issued on Sunday, April 10, 2022, the NSS announced that it will from Monday, April 11 to Thursday, June 30, 2022 register applicants who wish to do their service.
The NSS, in the statement announced that applicants are to submit letters to the regional offices of the scheme, requesting for their PIN code or a reactivation of their PIN codes.
“Eligible Ghanaians who missed the opportunity to do their national service in previous years and now wish to enrol for the 2022/2023 service year need to register with the Scheme… Eligible applicants include previous applicants who started but were not able to complete the service, private applicants who are qualified and wish to apply and Ghanaian nationals who have studied abroad,†a statement from the NSS said.
On document needed for the registration process, the NSS said ““All applications must include a letter requesting a PIN code or reactivation of PIN code, certified true copy of School Certificate or Transcript, evidence of Deferment Letter (if applicable), an Attestation/Introductory Letter from the institution attended, a copy of Ghana Card and a copy of Student ID with original copy for checks and for foreign students, a proof of study abroad,†it added.
The National Service Act, (Act 426) of 1980 makes it mandatory for Ghanaians aged 18 and above to undergo a one-year service.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appointed the former Chief Executive of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Mr Osei Assibey Antwi, as the acting Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS).
A letter signed by the Chief of Staff, Ms Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, and seen by Graphic Online, said Mr Antwi would serve in an acting capacity pending the advice of the governing board of the scheme, in consultation with the Public Service Commission (PSC).
Mr Antwi’s appointment is in compliance with Section 15(1) of the Ghana National Service Act, 1980 (Act 426).
The letter by the Chief of Staff said Mr Antwi had up to 14 days to accept or decline the appointment.
Mr. Antwi was the KMA Mayor from 2017 to 2021, and was seeking a second term until he withdrew from the race.
Prior to that, he served as Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister from 2006 to January 2009.
NSS reacts
Meanwhile, the management of NSS has congratulated Mr Antwi on his appointment as the new Executive Director.
A statement from the corporate affairs of the scheme described his appointment as welcomed news.
“We are grateful to the President for appointing a man with diverse academic and professional backgrounds, coupled with a considerable amount of managerial experience to be in charge of a government of Ghana agency mandated to formulate policies and structures for national service,” the statement added.
The NSS management said it was confident that the depth of knowledge Mr Antwi brings to the scheme would translate into enormous success for the scheme.
Profile
Mr Osei Assibey Antwi, who holds an MBA in Marketing, is a certified member of the Institute of Commercial Management (ICM), with over 20 years working experience in senior management positions within the public and private sectors.
Apart from his diverse academic and professional background, he has rich working experiences as Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the KMA, Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Assistant Inspector of Taxes responsible for Financial and Administrative duties at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and General Manager for the Kejetia Lorry Terminal.
In terms of his political record, Mr Antwi was a member of the Ashanti Regional campaign team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2020 elections.
He was also the party’s National Director of Operations from 2015 to 2016.
Additionally, he served as the Zonal Coordinator for Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions in the 2016 elections.
He has held many positions in the Ashanti Region NPP ranging from First Regional Vice-Chairman to Director of Operations for Regional Campaign Team since year 2000.
The National Service Scheme (NSS) has asked prospective National Service Personnel (NSP)) to expect their postings at the end of August.
This was contained in a statement from the Scheme which was copied to MyNewsGh.com.
The National Service Scheme blamed the delays in the release of the list on the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic and the closure of some agencies across the country.
Also, the scheme has ordered that all personnel who are bringing their service to an end across the country should submit online request only for their certificates.
“This year, the scheme mandates all completing personnel to submit online requests ONLY for their certificate request and they would get a digital copy, and a hard copy delivered to their address. The service can be accessed on https://www.nsscertificate.com.â€
This according to the scheme is part of its digitization drive and also to ensure that the scheme can serve personnel with ease across the country.
Read the statement here:
NSS CERTIFICATE COLLECTION GOES FULLY DIGITAL
The Ghana National Service Scheme has introduced a digital certificate collection service, in line with its continual drive to digitize key processes in how it serves its personnel.
With global concerns on COVID-19 and its protocols, the central web-based certification platform allows for request submission, and generation of a secured and verifiable digital copy of the NSS certificate, without the need for physical contact. The NSS Digital Certificate is distributed as a password-protected document to a valid email address of the personnel and secured with encrypted information about its origin, owner, issuance date, and authenticity.
This solution is an upgrade of the NSS Certificate Delivery system first introduced in 2018, to solve the challenge age-old challenge of stockpiling old uncollected certificates in NSS regional offices making it increasingly difficult to serve new personnel. It provided a comprehensive inventory system to ensure proper filing of certificates and also improve the management of certificates by a central web system. This is to ensure full accountability for every certificate.
In partnership with major courier companies in the country, the scheme has been able to fulfil over 40,000 certificate delivery requests to date, reducing operational overhead for the regional offices by 15% Year-on-Year.
This year, the scheme mandates all completing personnel to submit online requests ONLY for their certificate request and they would get a digital copy, and a hard copy delivered to their address. The service can be accessed on https://www.nsscertificate.com.
The Scheme under the leadership of Hon. Mustapha Ussif has introduced advance IT systems such as the Certificate Delivery system and the online appointment system during registration to reduce the inconveniences personnel go through during and after their service.
Speaking on this, he explains that “we are in times where we have to be able to serve more people with less resources. Thus, service delivery has to be the beacon of our engagement with NSS personnel, and we would continue to innovate aggressively around the changing needs of our personnel and the peculiar challenges of our environment.â€
Hon. Ussif also spoke about the delay in the release of the 2020/21 service posting and assured personnel to anticipate it by the end of the month. He attributed the delay as a result of COVID-19 and closure of agencies.
The Management of the National Service Scheme has asked that personnel under the scheme who will end their service to the nation should request for their certificates to be given to them online.
“This year, the scheme mandates all completing personnel to submit online requests ONLY for their certificate request and they would get a digital copy, and a hard copy delivered to their address. The service can be accessed on https://www.nsscertificate.com.â€
According to the Scheme, the move is part of its digitization drive at the National Service Secretariat and also a move to address the age-old challenge stockpiling old uncollected certificates in NSS regional offices making it increasingly difficult to serve new personnel.
“With global concerns on COVID-19 and its protocols, the central web-based certification platform allows for request submission, and generation of a secured and verifiable digital copy of the NSS certificate, without the need for physical contact. The NSS Digital Certificate is distributed as a password-protected document to a valid email address of the personnel and secured with encrypted information about its origin, owner, issuance date, and authenticity.
“This solution is an upgrade of the NSS Certificate Delivery system first introduced in 2018, to solve the challenge age-old challenge of stockpiling old uncollected certificates in NSS regional offices making it increasingly difficult to serve new personnel. It provided a comprehensive inventory system to ensure proper filing of certificates and also improve the management of certificates by a central web system. This is to ensure full accountability for every certificate.â€
The National Service Scheme started its digitization drive under the leadership of Hon. Mustapha Ussif where Certificate Delivery system and the online appointment system during registration were introduced to reduce the inconveniences personnel go through during and after their service.
With the introduction of the Certificate Delivery system, the NSS has in partnership with major courier companies in the country to be able to fulfill over 40,000 certificate delivery requests to date, reducing operational overhead for the regional offices by 15% Year-on-Year.
Read Statement From NSS Here:
NSS CERTIFICATE COLLECTION GOES FULLY DIGITAL
The Ghana National Service Scheme has introduced a digital certificate collection service, in line with its continual drive to digitize key processes in how it serves its personnel.
With global concerns on COVID-19 and its protocols, the central web-based certification platform allows for request submission, and generation of a secured and verifiable digital copy of the NSS certificate, without the need for physical contact. The NSS Digital Certificate is distributed as a password-protected document to a valid email address of the personnel, and secured with encrypted information about its origin, owner, issuance date, and authenticity.
This solution is an upgrade of the NSS Certificate Delivery system first introduced in 2018, to solve the challenge age-old challenge of stockpiling old uncollected certificates in NSS regional offices making it increasingly difficult to serve new personnel. It provided a comprehensive inventory system to ensure proper filing of certificates and also improve the management of certificates by a central web system. This is to ensure full accountability for every certificate.
In partnership with major courier companies in the country, the scheme has been able to fulfill over 40,000 certificate delivery requests to date, reducing operational overhead for the regional offices by 15% Year-on-Year.
This year, the scheme mandates all completing personnel to submit online requests ONLY for their certificate request and they would get a digital copy, and a hard copy delivered to their address. The service can be accessed on https://www.nsscertificate.com.
The Scheme under the leadership of Hon. Mustapha Ussif has introduced advance IT systems such as the Certificate Delivery system and the online appointment system during registration to reduce the inconveniences personnel go through during and after their service.
Speaking on this, he explains that “we are in times were we have to be able to serve more people with less resources. Thus, service delivery has to be the beacon of our engagement with NSS personnel, and we would continue to innovate aggressively around the changing needs of our personnel and the peculiar challenges of our environment.â€
Hon. Ussif also spoke about the delay in the release of the 2020/21 service posting and assured personnel to anticipate it by the end of the month. He attributed the delay as a result of Coronavirus and closure of agencies.
The National Service Scheme (NSS) has debunked claims of an increase in the allowances of National Service Personnel.
This follows social media claims that NSS personnel allowances has increased.
Speaking exclusively to UniversNews, Public Relations Officer of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Armstrong Esaah highlighted that the NSS is not considering on increasing allowances any time soon thus such false news should be disregarded.
“These reports on Social Media should be treated as rumors and nothing else, I have not heard of this and it is not something the NSS is considering at this time†he said.
Mr. Esaah clearly stated that “the increase is not impossible but at this time of year it would not happenâ€.
In May 2017 the allowances of National Service personnel were increased from 350 Ghana cedis to 599.04 Ghana cedis and has not been increased till date.
The increase was announced in a letter in 2017 signed by Mr. Ussif Mustapha.
ShareThe National Service Scheme (NSS) in the Bolgatanga Municipal, Upper East Region has adopted online services for applications and postings to minimize direct contact with stakeholders.
The measure is to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus and keep all stakeholders safe.
Mr Brown Korley, the Municipal Manager of the National Service Scheme, in an interview with the GNA in Bolgatanga, said his office began receiving applications online from user organizations for the services of NSS personnel.
He said because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scheme had moved away from the traditional system of distributing letters and personal arrangement to online applications by the user organizations.
It was also using television and radio to make announcements on updates for interested student applicants and user organizations.
“We are not in normal times and the observance of COVID- 19 protocols is critical and it is more difficult to take letters of students on attachment round to user organizations that request for their services,†Mr Korley said.
He said over 1,000 National Service Personnel were attached to various institutions in the Municipality within the 2019 -2020 year and trained teachers were due to complete their service in August while other two batches in education and health would end their service in September 2020.
Mr Sulemana Harrin Paul, a National Service Person, who will be completing his attachment at the Bolgatanga Regional Coordinating Council in August 2020, appreciated the strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols by the Council, which ensures that hand washing buckets, soap and sanitizers were available all the time.
He urged other organizations patronizing National Service personnel to endeavour to do same to protect them from the virus by providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and constantly ensuring that they followed the protocols.
Notable institutions that patronize the services of the scheme include the Ghana Education Service, the Regional Coordinating Council, District Assemblies and the Volta River Authority.
The National Service Secretariat(NSS) Secretariat has advised prospective National Service Personnel not to fall scams on social media who parade themselves as agents who can aid them get what they call “special postingâ€.
According to the Secretariat, it has no moderators and that posting of service Personnel does not attract any fee.
Prospective National Service personnel have been admonished to report such persons posing as moderators of the postings to the Secretariat so that they are dealt with the laws of the country.
The Secretariat also used the opportunity to caution perpetrators of such criminality to bring an end to their illegality or face the law.
The management of the National Service Scheme (NSS) is calling on Ghanaians to desist from paying monies to fraudsters.
According to the National Service Scheme, some persons posing as agents of the scheme on various social media platforms, extorting money from prospective national service personnel with the view of assisting them to be posted to their preferred institution.
According to the NSS, there is nothing like “special postingâ€, adding that the scheme has no agents to that effect.
“We wish to inform every Ghanaian that posting of service personnel does not attract any feeâ€, a statement signed by the Corporate Affairs Director, Mr Armstrong Esaah said.
“Management, thus, cautions prospective service personnel to, whenever approached, report such persons to the security agencies to be dealt with under the laws of Ghana,†it added.
The NSS advices all culprits of “this criminal act†to desist from exploiting innocent national service prospects in their quest to serve the country or face the full rigors of the law when apprehended.
Established in 1973, the NSS is a government of Ghana programme under the Ministry of Education with a National Secretariat in Accra, and offices in all administrative regions and districts across the country.
The scheme is mandated to deploy a pool of skilled manpower drawn primarily from tertiary institutions to support development efforts of both the public and private sectors in Ghana.
Although it is a citizenry requirement for all Ghanaians who are eighteen years above, it is currently limited to, and mandatory for all Ghanaians graduating from tertiary educational institutions who are not less than eighteen years old.
The original intent of deploying freshly graduating youth under the NSS arrangement, is to ensure that priority sectors of our national life are never lacking in the requisite human resources needed for development.
The National Service Secretariat has announced, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is currently reviewing its annual processes for national service registration and recruitment. The main purpose is to limit or reduce human contact as much as possible.
Over the years, national service online registration process ends with a validation process which results in huge numbers of applicants trooping to regional and district NSS centres. This resulted in long queues and congestion at these centres.
This annual situation therefore raised concerns about public safety in the wake of the pandemic.
Speaking to The Independent via phone interview, the Deputy Executive Director of NSS, Dr. Gifty Oware Aboagye said her outfit is working with its IT team to create an appropriate alternative or means to ensure a smooth process during the period.
She explained, electronic money transaction and other policies already rolled out are all targeted at ensuring safety of applicants in the wake of the pandemic.
“Applicants are doing more mobile money as part of the registration process. They are resorting to this even more than they go to the bank (ADB) to pay GHC 40.This has drastically reduced their trips to the bank, further limiting their exposure to the virus.â€
Dr. Gifty Oware Aboagye however noted that in due time, more measures from her outfit would be rolled out and the media will be reliably informed.
The National Service Scheme (NSS) on April 24, 2020, released a total of 111,613 PIN Codes, to enable all eligible Ghanaian final year students from accredited tertiary institutions in the country, enrol in mandatory national service scheme for the 2020/2021 service year.
The National Service Scheme has directed all National Service personnel to take their mandatory one month paid leave effective Thursday 26 March, till the end of April 2020.
Western Regional Director of the National Service scheme, Mr. Okatakyie Amankwa Afrifa, said the mandatory leave was in compliance with the President’s precautionary measures to curb the spread of the CoVID-19 in the country.
Mr Afrifa said all newly posted nurses who were to start their National Service in April 2020 this year, were also to take the month of April as their terminal leave, explaining that the arrangement replaces the annual terminal leave given to all National Service Personnel under the NSS Act 426, which is the last month of their service period.
He indicated that, service personnel would, therefore, be at the post in the last month of their national service.
Mr. Afrifa explained that with the exception of those working in essential institutions and organizations in the fight against the Coronavirus who are to continue reporting to work, the rest were to take their mandatory leave.
He commended the government for taking such a bold decision, which he noted would help stem the spread of COVID 19.
Teacher trainees undertaking their national service in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region have vowed to resist efforts by the Ghana Education Service and the National Service Secretariat to repost them to adjoining communities.
The teachers say the attempt to repost them after two months of settling in the Hohoe municipality without any compensation will inconvenience them since they may have to now look for new apartments and incur extra cost in renting.
The Hohoe Municipal President of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), Gordon Awuku told Citi News the leadership of the Association will not allow its members to be treated unfairly.
“When you listen to GES, they have not been able to make any convincing argument over this issue. They called a meeting yesterday. When we went, the NSS director for the district introduced the subject that this is the reason why they are leaving. Because we all agreed that when you are reposting someone, it comes with challenges.
“This clearly shows that they are not prepared to carry out this [service]. And as a leader, I told them if I allow my people to be treated this way, it means they are going to suffer. How much is national service allowance to warrant them suffering like this?†he asked.
Meanwhile, the Volta Regional Director of the National Service Scheme, Ambrose Entsiwa Junior said no such thing as compensation exists for reposting under the scheme.
The scheme reserves the right to repost service personnel depending on their relevance to the user agencies and the country at large.
“These are general concerns. I am not aware of any compensation package as far as national service postings and repostings are concerned. It is important to understand that we post national service personnel based on a number of issues.â€
Background
The National Service Scheme released about 14,000 pin codes to get trainee teachers across the country to undertake a compulsory one-year national service before being employed by the government in 2018.
This new directive from the government stipulated that newly trained teachers will undertake their service after writing the Teacher Licensure Examinations.
The Director of Public Affairs at NSS, David Prah, explained that the one-year national service for teachers was mandatory by law because the teacher trainee colleges had assumed tertiary status and award diploma certificates.
Groups disagree
But the trainee teachers were opposed to the decision.
A group calling itself Teachers and Trainees Advocacy (TTA), described the new directive as “heartbreaking†and “disrespectful.â€
Hundreds of unemployed teachers also partook in a demonstration to protest the directive from the government. They refused to adhere to the order.
But later on, the agitated teachers had a change of mind on the issue.
The Minister of Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh announced that it had reached an agreement with the teacher trainees for them to be posted as national service personnel.
According to him, about 16,000 of the trainee teachers had already registered with the National Service Secretariat.
“I met with the Coalition of Newly Trained Teachers and the Teacher Trainee Association of Ghana, and they went and met with the GES and finally signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to do the national service,†he explained.
The National Service Secretariat (NSS) has reposted all the six national service persons who were assigned to a school in Dansoman that has only one student.
Three of them were reposted to the Association of African Universities at East Legon, while the other three were reposted to the Pentecost Vocational Training Institute at Mallam-Gbawe, the Odorgonno Senior High School (SHS) at Awoshie and the Mataheko 1 Basic School at Kaneshie, all in Accra.
The reposting followed a publication in the Daily Graphic which reported the grievances of the six service persons who had been posted to the Dansoman SHS, only to discover that there was only one student in the school.
Headmistress
The headmistress of the private Dansoman SHS had refused to release the six for reposting to another school when they made the request, claiming that although there was only one student in her school, she still needed the services of the NSS persons
The six, who started working in their new stations on January 27, this year, expressed appreciation to the Daily Graphic and the NSS for their intervention.
“We thank the Daily Graphic so much for its intervention. We are grateful for the effort,†they said, adding: “We thank the NSS too for promptly coming to our aid following the publication.â€
The Deputy Executive Director of the NSS, Dr Gifty Oware, charged the six to diligently render their services at their various posts, saying it was required of them to put in the effort to achieve the best results.
“Just go and do your best for Mother Ghana,†she told them.
Background
The Tuesday, January 21, 2020 issue of the Daily Graphic carried a story about the six national service persons who were in a tango with the Headmistress of the Dansoman SHS over their reposting to another school after they had found out that the SHS they had been posted to, had only one student.
The Dansoman SHS, owned by Mrs Elizabeth Daniels, the Headmistress, offers courses in General Arts and Business.
The only student of the school is a girl in SHS Three, preparing to write the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in April this year.
Service persons
Although the six service persons received their monthly allowances paid them by the NSS, they claimed they were unproductive at the Dansoman SHS and feared that could hurt their future job-hunting prospects.
They, therefore, asked to be released, so that they could be reposted by the NSS, but the headmistress was reluctant to endorse their release letters.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mrs Daniels said she had refused to endorse the release letters because she felt she needed the services of the service persons.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has, on Thursday, September 12, 2019, inaugurated its Bootcamp for the 2019/2020 National Service Personnel at the NCA Tower in Accra.
The event took place ahead of a six (6) week intensive boot camp which is tailored to orient and develop the personnel as they get ready to serve in various roles in the Authority.
From 2017, the NCA has made a conscious effort to accommodate over a hundred (100) NSP for each year and subsequently, the Authority has received one hundred and seventy-six (176) personnel for this service year.
Gracing the event as the Special Guest of Honour was the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of Police, COP Mrs. Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah.
Also present at the event were the Management and staff of the NCA.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of NCA, Mr. Joe Anokye said the Authority was privileged to welcome the Director-General of CID to the event.
He was elated that the Authority has accepted the third batch of National Service Personnel since he took over as the Director-General of the NCA. He went on to say that, the Authority accepted 35 NSP in 2016 however, there has been a tremendous increase of 500% in the subsequent years; 168 in 2017, 118 in 2018 and 176 this year.
Adding on, Mr. Anokye noted that the NCA was the first to introduce the Boot Camp Experience in Ghana which was duly launched by H.E. Vice President, the Minister for Communications and the National Service Scheme Director in 2017.
He was hopeful that during the service period, the Authority will make a conscious effort to build their capacity and equip them with relevant skills needed to build their careers and for the world of work.
In her remarks, the Special Guest of Honour, COP Mrs. Maame Tiwaa Addo Danquah said she was elated to be invited to grace the event and share her experience through the Police Service.
She reiterated that hard work and humility has facilitated her rising through the ranks in her career to her present position.
She encouraged the personnel to work hard and make an impact regardless of the challenges they may encounter since their training at the various tertiary institutions have already given them a broader horizon.
Again, she urged them to take part in all activities of the Authority and mind their appearance, actions and utterances both in and out of work as they are now ambassadors of the NCA.
Speaking further, COP Addo-Danquah admonished the personnel to have good human relations with stakeholders, learn positively from staff and avail themselves for work always. She cautioned them not to take decisions on baseless opinions but seek clarifications and politely relay suggestions where necessary.
Bringing her remarks to a close, COP Addo-Danquah wished them well in their stay at the NCA.
Mr. Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko, Deputy Director of the Engineering Division of NCA also gave tried and tested tips for career success and encouraged the personnel to be achievers who will also leave good trails wherever they may find themselves.
