NSS Executive Director, Ussif Mustapha
The National Service Secretariat (NSS) has announced the deployment of 77,962 personnel to various sectors of the economy for the 2019/2020 service year.
Out of the number, 66,348 representing 85.1 per cent, would be working in the public sector while the private sector would receive 11, 614 service personnel, representing 14.9 per cent.
Executive Director of the Scheme, Ussif Mustapha, said at a news conference in Accra today that 6,000 service personnel would be working in the agriculture sector including government’s flagship programme: ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’.
“2,000 personnel will also be working in the newly introduced entrepreneurship programme in poultry production with focus on all the value chains in poultry production,” he said.
Checking Postings
He said prospective service personnel can check their postings.
However, they cannot print out the appointment letters until Friday 19th, July, 2019.
“Registration will commence at all regional centres across the country from Monday 22nd July 2019 and end on Friday 30thAugust, 2019 … before they formally begin their national service on Monday 2nd September, 2019,” he said.
Mr. Mustapha said service personnel were required to provide their students’ identification cards and either a valid Ghanaian passport, Voter Identification Card or drivers’ license.
National Health Insurance Identification cards are however not eligible for registration.
Changes
A couple of changes aimed at making the registration progress seamless was announced including service personnel booking an appointment for registration on the scheme’s website before reporting to the premises of the designated registration centre to register.
“Personnel who show up without an ‘appointment number’ would be turned away,” he said.
He also said personnel would be required to seek the consent of the user agency to which they are posted, before submitting the final document for approval at the office (s) of the scheme.
The NSS Executive director said prior to this year’s deployment exercise, the Scheme organized on-campus orientation for all public and private accredited opportunities for prospective service personnel to have adequate information about the entire service period.
Global Practice
Touching on the new initiative to send some service personnel outside for exchange programme, the NSS Boss indicated that it was to give the opportunity to service personnel to have the global working experience before completion of the service.
“It is something that is coming on this year God willing. You know that not all the 100,000 service personnel that we deploy will be able to go so… we are thinking about getting 100 to 200 service personnel. It is very competitive and the competitiveness will depend on the impact you make at your area of deployment, you will be short listed before you chossento go to do that six weeks exchange programme,” he Executive Director further explained.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri