The Allowance Of National Service Personnel

We the National Service Personnel in the Jomoro District are making a passionate appeal to his Excellency President John Evans Atta Mills and all persons involved in the determination of the allowances of Service Personnel to as a matter of urgency take a critical look at the allowances of Service Personnel in the country and adjust it upwardly.

It is therefore very flabbergasting to note that contemporarily, graduates from the various Polytechnics and Universities, who undertake National Service after completing their tertiary education, are paid less allowance as compared to their brothers and sister, still pursuing studies in the various colleges of education and nursing training Schools in the country.

Currently, a National Service Person receives GHC 202.90 as a monthly allowance, whiles their compatriots, thus the teacher and nursing trainees receives between GHC 280 and GHC300 monthly allowances.

We strongly believe that it is therefore incongruous or non-sequitur for students still studying in School, thus the teacher and nursing trainees, who do not rent and pay utility bills, to be paid more allowance than Service Personnel who are posted to any part of this country and have to seek and pay for their own accommodation coupled with hefty utility bills.

During our time in School as students, we were not entitled to any form of allowance and most of us had to fall on student loan with hefty accumulating interest, which we have to pay. And now that we are out of School and posted to all corners of this country to render service to our dear nation, we are paid meagre allowances of which saving to pay our accumulated loans, is even very difficult.

It is therefore about time the government and all individuals involved in determining the allowances of Service Personnel knew that National Service is not National Servitude or National Slavery. The mere fact that we as Service Personnel accept postings to any part of the country (thus from even Accra to Bawku) is more than sacrificial and not to continue suffering immensely to meet our basic necessities of life.

It is very imperative for those in authority to note that the way we reward education or Professions would definitely influence the decision of our young ones and posterity. As it stands now, many of our younger brothers and sisters are beginning to lose interest in University and Polytechnic Education, thus they are beginning to see University and Polytechnic Education as useless and are now aiming at storming the various colleges of education and Nursing training Schools in the country to pursue their studies, just because in these institutions, you are entitled to a good allowance and your job security is guaranteed after completion, unlike the Universities and Polytechnics , where even after graduating and undertaking your National Service you are entitled to a less allowance as compared to the nursing and teacher trainees.

We as Service Personnel, find it very difficult to fathom or comprehend why this should be so. Is it because, University and Polytechnic education is no more relevant or important in Ghana? It is therefore very indispensable for the government and all stakeholders to note that, for our dear nation to develop or catch up with the more advanced countries, University and Polytechnic education, for that matter graduates from the various Polytechnics and the Universities in the country would have to play a key role. And if our young ones are beginning to lose interest in pursuing Polytechnic and University education, just because of the unfair treatment meted out to graduates, then the future of our dear nation lies in shamble.

Furthermore, looking at the recent hike in fuel prices coupled with the high cost of living, it is now becoming very difficult for Service Personnel to survive or cope with the current GHC 202.90 monthly allowance that we are paid. It is therefore against this backdrop that we are making a passionate appeal to his Excellency, President John Evans Atta Mills and all individuals involved in determining the allowances of Service Personnel to as a matter of urgency begin to pay the proposed 20% increment which was promised us, on the day our postings were announced and also make a subsequent upward adjustment in our allowances with alacrity, since life is becoming unbearable for many Service Personnel.

This is because if the status quo remains, most graduates would be deterred from engaging in National Service after completing their tertiary education, thereby aggravating the 20,236 short fall of Service Personnel, which was experienced during the 2011/2012 postings.

Finally we would like to use this opportunity to express our profound gratitude to the Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, Mr. Vincent Senam Kuagbenu, the Government and all other stakeholders for the prompt payment of our allowances, since the problem of delays which was associated with the payment of the allowances of Service Personnel is now a thing of the past. Thank you.

KPATAKPA NELSON KORANKYE EZEKIEL AMPAH-AFFUL LETICIA NASPA PRESIDENT PUBLIC RELATION OFFICER GENERAL-SECRETARY 024-4199538 024-7519092, 020-2866867 054-4476017