Ashanti Regional NSS Director’s punishment will deter others - NSS

The management of the National Service Secretariat says that the punishment meted out to the embattled Ashanti Regional NSS director, Alex Opoku-Mensah, for abusing a Ghanaian nurse will serve as a deterrent to others.

In an interview on OTEC FM’S ‘Nyansapo’ show, the director of the Public Affairs unit of the secretariat, Armstrong Essah, asserted that Alex Opoku-Mensah’s punishment will restrain both high and low-ranking officials of the NSS fraternity from repeating the same offence.

"In the wisdom of the Investigative committee, coupled with the analysis done by the management and board of the scheme, we are so convinced that, the punishment is strong enough to restrain both high and low-ranking officials of NSS from doing the same," he said.

The National Service Secretariat, in a statement on December 1, 2022, announced the suspension of Alex Opoku-Mensah for two months without pay and his transfer to the head office to work under supervision.

He has been asked to render an unqualified apology to the NSS for bringing its name into disrepute.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has stated that they are not happy with the transfer Alex Opoku-Mensah.

The GRNMA in 2022 called for the head of Opoku-Mensah following the assault at the hospital.

Speaking on Citi Prime News, the Vice Chairman of the Ashanti regional chapter of GRNMA, Philemon Adu Brempong, said they are not happy about the reassignment but will accept it.

Background

On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, GhanaWeb reported that the Ashanti Regional Director for the National Service Secretariat, Alex Opoku-Mensah, had been captured on tape verbally attacking a staff nurse at the Manhyia District Hospital.

In the audio recording of the incident, Mr Opoku-Mensah was heard hurling insults and threats at the nurse for allegedly intimidating his daughter, who is a house officer at the hospital.

According to multiple reports, the said nurse is said to have called Mr Opoku-Mensah's daughter on phone to inform her about the need for her to return to the facility to update a patient's record on the hospital's patient management system.

AM/DA