Mustapha Ussif interacting with NSS personnel
Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Mustapha Ussif, has indicated that management of the scheme has introduced new measures to ensure that newly deployed personnel for the 2018/19 service year which begins on Monday, September 1, 2018 go through the registration and other documentation process without the usual stampedes that characterised it in the past.
Addressing some of the personnel at the Tema and Accra centres in the Greater Accra Region on Friday, he stated that about 91,000 personnel have been deployed to the various sectors of the national economy.
According to him, although the biometric registration process was delayed, management has opened registration to last till December 2018, adding that personnel can also register at any NSS centre in the country without having to travel to Accra.
“Management is very concerned about the welfare of personnel and it is for these reasons that it has introduced these new directives so that they have enjoy the registration process and equally give off their best in return while in the field,” he explained.
Mustapha Ussif, who was accompanied on the tour by the Deputy Executive Director, Mrs. Gifty Oware, and Public Affairs Director, David Prah, among others, further pointed out that the capturing of personnel’s biometric data is also a measure to protect the public purse so that ‘ghost’ personnel do not get paid for no work done.
He added that the NSS is also collaborating with the Controller & Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) to delete names of personnel who are already on salary to avoid a case of double payments.
The executive director assured the service personnel of management’s preparedness to give consideration to persons with exceptional conditions such as those who are physically challenged, health and married couples.
He urged MMDCEs, chiefs and other opinion leaders to assist personnel with their accommodation challenges.
The Greater Accra Regional Director, Anastasia M.A Zanoo, who lauded management for the new measures, reiterated that NSS has removed a lot of frustrations from both personnel and staff, who in the past, were strangled by long queues amidst the attacks from personnel.
She also indicated that the new measures would be further improved as the NSS targets using IT to make registration and other processes less cumbersome for each season of personnel.
By Solomon Ofori