Mr Lambert Kuyorwu, Hohoe Municipal Director, National Service Scheme (NSS), has called on Service personnel in the Municipality to be disciplined at their respective workplaces especially those in the classrooms since they were “role models” to school pupils and others who could not go to school.
He urged them to be punctual to work and abide by the rules and regulations of their respective workplaces, adding that anyone who wanted to absent themselves from work should follow the proper laid down procedures.
Mr Kuyorwu was addressing personnel at this year’s orientation and election of 2023/2024 executives of the Hohoe chapter of National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), and said, National Service was mandatory regardless of whether one attended a private or public tertiary institution.
He said certain actions and inactions by personnel could be considered offences such as refusal or failure of a Ghanaian citizen to be engaged by the scheme and the act of prospective personnel lobbying to be posted to be place of their choice.
Mr Kuyorwu said personnel should take good care of their rented apartment to make way for other personnel in years ahead as well as make good use of the small allowances given to them.
He called on the personnel to dress properly to work, report any challenge they had come across to the NSS offices for redress, check, print, sign and submit their monthly validation form at the office on time.
Mr Kuyorwu said NASPA was created to enable the NSS to cater for welfare issues of personnel and serve as a platform to give voice to the personnel at the district level.
He urged the personnel to fully participate in all activities that they might be called upon to do, such as blood donation exercises, health education, and sanitation campaigns.
Mr Kuyorwu said the NSS was formed after the massive brain drain and economic recession in Ghana following the 1972 coup d’état, when about 2000 graduate students in the University of Ghana, Cape Coast and Kumasi proposed to serve the country for a period of one year in gratitude for the support they received during their education.
“Following that, a National Revolution Council Decree 208 was made in September 1973 to establish the scheme. It was later revised as National Service Act 426 in 1989.”
He noted that Scheme had an aim of deploying fresh graduates to ensuring that priority sectors of the economy never lack the requisite human resources needed for development.
Mr Kuyorwu said the Scheme effectively deployed an average of 125,000 from 150 public and private tertiary institutions annually beginning November and ending October of ensuing year.
He said it was with the vision of leadership in youth service and to mobilise and deploy Ghanaian citizens 18-years and above for national development respectively.
Mr Kuyorwu said one advantage of being a Service personnel was that at the end, one who successfully completed their Service received certification which in turn facilitate their employment as both local and foreign employers considered the certificate as a requisite for job offers.
Mrs Janet Valerie Datsa-Agbotse, Hohoe Municipal Director of Education urged the personnel to focus on their aim of being personnel and put-up a a positive attitude towards serving the nation.
The personnel also elected the following as their executives; Master Nelson Paramount Eli, President, Master Enyan Stanis Kwesi, Vice President, Master Abdulai Sulemana, General Secretary, Miss Mercy Adjei Adumatta, Financial Secretary and Miss Naomi Fevlo, Women’s Commissioner.
GNA