Petition On The Undue Delay Of Outstanding Arrears

MOVEMENT FOR PROMPT ACTION-MPA,

C/O MUSAH MUSTAPHA,

MINISTRY OF FINANCE,

MINISTRIES, ACCRA.

10TH DECEMBER 2014.

THE ACTING DIRECTOR,

NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME,

ACCRA, GHANA.

Dear Sir,

Petition On The Undue Delay Of Outstanding Arrears

Of National Service Personnel 2014/2015.

The greatest tragedy to man can never be death but that which prevents him from achieving set goals in the ambit of avoidable tendencies. Recent developments with respect to national service personnel across the length and breadth of Ghana might not be novel, but dangerous in this context most especially under prevailing harsh economic conditions. Referring to our press release dated 01/12/2014 which made the news and attracted some response in the circular including the national service secretariat via the public relations officer, Mr. Ambrose Entsiwah Junior, we have consequently revised the rhythm though singing and dancing to the same song.

It must be noted with all emphasis that the points raised in our press release were only responded to but not acted on. This becomes more evident on the backdrop of all outstanding arrears not duly paid as of today, rather, only September allowance was released to personnel of Greater Accra while September and October were released in other regions with even alien challenges. This goes to prove the issue of selective and differential treatment of service personnel despite our collective resolve to serve the nation.

The over ten thousand signed members of Movement for Prompt Action unshakably refer your outfit to Act 426 of 1980 (section 5 and 7) which gives a clear clarification of the terms and conditions of engagement of service personnel and therefore seek to raise a point of unfair treatment in that regard.

This Act virtually makes it impossible to engage in any prudent economic activity not to talk of catching up with the realities of economic conditions. Any attempt therefore to withhold from us outstanding arrears is only, with the greatest of respect, a calculated move to shortchange national service personnel and to expose us to avoidable challenges of performing our legally mandated responsibilities. It must be stressed that, even the allowances only partially cushions us and offset the differential expenditure, hence, paying for just September comes to shred part of our outstanding borrowings and leave us to fate. Our lives for the past four months have been dependent on borrowed income therefore, any further delay will find most of our colleagues in other regions packing back home while the rest of us rendered incapacitated to efficiently serve God and country. We therefore plead for a prompt intervention by your outfit in this regard.

Interesting but of grave concern is the issue of our brothers and sisters in the three northern regions who were made to believe one thing but implemented another in the process. Going by the promise of the deputy minister of education in charge of tertiary, Hon. Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa, the board chairman of NSS, madam Gifty Mahama Biyira and the then director of NSS, Alhaji Imoro Alhassan, personnel posted and to the three northern regions but delayed in reporting by no fault of theirs will rightly receive their September allowance. It however turned out to be false when they reported to the collection point. We are therefore requesting your outfit to crosscheck this information and respectfully pay affected individuals.

In addition to the above Sir, some of our gallant polytechnic graduates who equally by no making of theirs have had September allowance quashed off with unjustified explanations. The over three months strike action by the Pollytechnic Teachers Association (POTAG) is enough a big blow to the graduates and any attempt to further shortchange their effort will only awaken the resentments of yesterday, more so because, others were on record to have worked for that month. This retroactive and aggregative punishment is unfounded in the light of law.

We are equally requesting for further information on the unwarranted deductions made from our September allowances. The issues become more compounded and complicated when analyzed in the context of information dissemination. There is a difficulty in appreciating why deductions more than the agreed amount were made from our allowance. About 10% was deducted from our allowances with no accounting breakdown. This prickles-out some more threat to future allowances and we seek in the interest of transparency and accountability, an explanation to this rather unfortunate decision.

Despite the collective effort to drive home our frustration and anxiety, we still pledge to play a key role in contributing our quota to the development of this country in the spirit of service to the nation, especially with recent challenges. Our consolidated energy should be followed with a conscious effort from your outfit to give to Caesar what is due Caesar.

Respectfully Sir, we will resist any form of engineered attempt to discomfort national service personnel and will further continue to push forward our demands in attempt to restore the core values underpinning the establishment of national service scheme in 1973.

We on this note plead for a swift intervention by your kind outfit to cool off the pool of confusion in our minds. Any further delay later than 22nd of December, 2014 will trigger a massive mobilization of membership across the ten regions of Ghana in any legally authorized form to register our disapprobation to this unending ectopic.

Thank You

Yours truly

Musah Mustapha

(NS Person Ministry of Finance)

Director of Communication for MPA.

Tel:+233247817477

Michael Adjei Darkwa

(NS Person - Student Financial aid office,UG)

National Organizer for MPA.

Tel:+233247056291

Alex K. Biney

(NS Person-Ministry of Tourism)

Interim Chairman for MPA.

Yakubu M. Hardi

(NS Person-Monawara T.I Ahmadiya School, Tamale)

Northern Regional Coordinator for MPA.

Rich Kofi Kofituo

(NS Person-Faculty of Agriculture,UG)

Greater Accra Regional Coordinator for MPA.

And 10,947 personnel across the 10 regions of Ghana.

CC:

MINISTER OF EDUCATION

MINISTER OF YOUTH AND SPORTS

MINISTER OF FINANCE

NATIONAL SERVICE PERSONNEL ASSOCIATION

ALL MEDIA OUTLETS.