play videoPhilip Burberry Quaye is NASPA President
The Ghana National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), has admitted goofing in communicating information regarding the just rolled out insurance package for the National Service Scheme to personnel nationwide.
The package which was launched earlier this week received massive objection from several service personnel whose concerns were that management did not seek their consent or pre-inform them prior to its roll
Speaking to Ghanaweb.com, President of the Association, Philip Burberry Quaye, acknowledged that the concerns of personnel were genuine admitting that there was poor communication on details of the package to the 2017/18 entrants on the scheme.
“We admit, the communication has not really gone down well for us and we blame all of us”, he said.
Mr. Quaye explained that the communication gap was consequent of the fact that there was no effective medium of communication to new entrants on the scheme unlike the previous 2016/2017 batch who were duly informed.
“This resolution was passed by the 2016/2017 year of service personnel congress and when we came back from congress, every region relayed the information to their personnel in the region but this is a group of service personnel who are for 2017, 2018 and so they have now started, it is the responsibility of all the regions and the district executives to relay that information to them. Normally you get the service personnel to talk to during orientation, most of the districts and regions are yet to do their orientation; that is one major problem we face hence gives us that communication gap”, he said.
According to him, the package will present an opportunity for such communication gap issues to be resolved subsequently.
“At least I know that with this package, next time leaders or servants that will come after us will not face this because when they want to communicate with the people, when they want to relay any information to the people, just with a click of a button, information goes directly to every service personnel on their phone”.
Mr. Quaye revealed that Glico presented the best deal among the many insurance companies involved in the process.
“…The cost was so high, we approached Glico, we approached several other companies as well and God being so good, Glico said we will give you all this package”
He also assured personnel of a response to their concerns by congress moving forward.
“For every policy when you implement it, people will come out with grievances, when you listen to them and act on them, you reshape them and make things better…..the concerns that we’ve received, we are putting all of them together again, Congress will decide again because you can’t say you’ll lead a group of people and not listen to their concerns.
The National Service Scheme in partnership with MTN and Glico Life Insurance, earlier this week launched a life insurance cover for the over 90,000 personnel.
This compulsory 12-month package covers death, injury, medicals among other serious implications that may affect their wellbeing during the year of service.
The claims vary from GHC 15,000 in cases of death or incapacitation, and GHC 3,000 for cases of temporary disability.
As part of the insurance package, National Service personnel are entitled to a GHc 500 loan which is payable within six months.
Service Personnel will also be charged GHC 15 on a monthly basis as insurance deductions for the package.
But the aggrieved National Service Personnel say they did not consent to the roll-out of the scheme, and do not agree to its imposition on them.
