Koforidua, Dec.1, GNA - Mr. Emil Angan-Aarah Bapuah, Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of the National Service Scheme (NSS), has appealed to the Government to appoint a substantive Director to the Scheme. He said since Mr. Boniface Gambilla, the former director was appointed Upper East Regional Minister, no substantive Director had been appointed, and the situation was affecting the smooth administration of the Scheme.

Mr. Bapuah made the appeal at the presentation of certificates to the 2004/2005 Service personnel who had completed their service in the Eastern Region at Koforidua on Wednesday. Among the 1,929 post-service personnel who received their certificates included a sight-impaired.

He noted that many of the problems facing the Scheme could be solved when a substantive director was appointed. Mr. Bapuah commended the personnel for their sense of nationalism and devotion and commended the board of the Scheme for the re-introduction of the presentation of certificates to personnel. Mr. Samuel Appiah, Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of the Computerized Selection and Placement Selection (CPPSS), called on the NSS Board to institute measures to find permanent placement for service personnel after completion of their service.

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr. Yaw Barimah, Eastern Regional Minister, said the National Service Programme was an induction and orientation process into the civil and public services and stressed the need for service personnel to accept postings to the rural areas where their services were needed.