The cry of National Service personnel, government must listen

The main reason for which graduates are deployed across various institutions to offer their service to the nation is to develop the potentials of these young people and create opportunities for them to deliver quality services to the disadvantaged and the nation at large.

As part of its objectives, the NSS is aimed at encouraging the spirit of national service among Ghanaian youths, through active participation; undertaking projects designed to combat hunger, illiteracy, and unemployment in Ghana; and developing skilled manpower through practical training.

It is however unfortunate that the people who are supposed to offer voluntary service to the nation to help combat hunger are themselves hungry.

This may sound strange but that is the reality of many NSS personnel across the country.

Government must understand that, It takes a strong and a healthy person to offer voluntary service to his/her nation. Government is well aware that in certain places in Ghana, institutions will stop functioning without the help of the National Service Personnel. They do same number of hours and sometimes more than the regular staff.

It is quite challenging for personnel who just completed school without employment to be able to arrange for transportation and accommodation within a limited space.

While we are all of the view that it is important for graduates to do the mandatory National Service, government must put in measures to ease the difficulties these young graduates go through especially for the first few months.

As a result of the financial constraints and other bottlenecks, some personnel sometimes refuse posting to certain regions or districts. The lack of motivation mostly leads to absenteeism and lateness to work which does not auger well for the individual’s professional career.

Bad work ethnics are often picked up during these early stages because of the lack of motivation and the discomfort most of these fresh graduates are exposed to at the beginning of their career. We must also be quick to condemn institutions that often times use service personnel as errands boys or girls. If indeed service personnel are supposed to be leaders in youth advocacy, then they should not be reduced to errand boys.

Things are particularly more difficult for service personnel across the various tertiary institutions. It is trite knowledge that one of the challenges hindering tertiary education in Ghana apart from school fees is hostel charges.

Many service persons who have found themselves within the various universities campuses like UCC, CCTU, LEGON and KNUST have no option than to pay rent as students.

The situation is frustrating many service persons on the various campus. indeed, a lot of them are waiting patiently for their allowance to be paid so they could use it to pay part of their hostel fees which are perked between GHS2500 to GHS 5000.

It is high time the various universities put in measures to help mitigate the accommodation challenges faced by national service personnel The situation is further worsened by the delay in the release of allowance. The Minister of finance and the NSS secretariat have to put in place measures to ensure that payments are regular.

Hitherto some of these young people could call home or ask friends for Go 50 or 30 in times of distress. Many of them cannot no longer ask friends and relative for help because there is that implicit assumption that once they are doing their service, they will be paid by government.

This put most of them in difficult financial problems because the money that is to be paid them for which friends and family have reneged on their responsibilities towards them are not forth coming despite the fact that it is woefully inadequate.

Government should take a second look at the amount and increase it to GHS750. The worsening economic conditions and the fear a drastic hike in prices of basic commodities makes it imperative for government to increase the allowance paid to NSP.

Service personnel cannot help combat poverty in hunger. Let the payment be regular. Whilst at that, it is also important for personnel to understand that this is the opportune time for them to develop early contact with potential employers or acquire practical on-the-job training, while contributing to their country’s socio-economic transformation development at the same time.