Pressure is mounting on the National Service Authority (NSA) to reverse deductions from the allowances of National Service personnel as prominent public figures and affected personnel question the legality, transparency and compulsory nature of a multi-million-cedi capacity-building contract reportedly awarded by the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA).
The controversy erupted after National Service personnel reported an unexplained deduction of GH¢60 from their May allowances.
According to Shaibu Sumaila, a National Service person, the deductions stem from a GH¢12.6 million contract allegedly signed by NASPA with Zeus Atlas Ltd to provide a capacity-building programme for more than 70,000 service personnel nationwide.
In a statement circulated on social media, Mr Sumaila alleged that the new NASPA leadership signed a three-year agreement with Zeus Atlas Ltd under which every National Service person would pay GH¢180, deducted in three monthly instalments of GH¢60 beginning in May.
He further alleged that during a Zoom address, the NASPA President announced that the programme would be compulsory for all current personnel and would also apply to the next batch of graduates entering national service next year.
According to Mr Sumaila, concerns raised by participants during the virtual meeting about why the programme had been made mandatory were dismissed.
“When the NASPA President was asked about the reasons why this programme must be compulsory, he said those asking the questions should speak for themselves and not speak for others because we are over 70,000 and only a few were present at the meeting,” Mr Sumaila claimed.
He questioned the legal basis for the deductions, asking: “Which constitutional provision in the NASPA Constitution permits the NASPA President to burden service personnel with a deduction of over GH¢12.6 million without their consent? Must it be compulsory?”
Mr Sumaila also alleged that some NASPA executives told concerned personnel they had no knowledge of either the contract or the deductions.
Appealing for intervention, he urged the media, civil society organisations and opinion leaders to draw the attention of President John Dramani Mahama to the issue, insisting that the deductions should be voluntary if they are to continue.
The allegations have since attracted strong criticism from investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, who called on the Director-General of the National Service Authority, Ruth Dela Seddoh, to immediately reverse the deductions.
“The Director of the National Service Authority, Ruth Dela Seddoh, should take steps to reverse the illegal deduction from already meagre allowances of the national service personnel,” Mr Awuni said.
He argued that the programme lacked transparency, saying, “Most of the personnel have no idea about the so-called capacity building that the NASPA executives have contracted Zeus Atlas to provide.”
Questioning the design of the programme, he said: “It’s even stranger to think of a one-size-fits-all training for over 70,000 graduates with so many varied backgrounds and interests. A few executives cannot pretend to know everyone’s training needs.”
Mr Awuni maintained that participation should be voluntary.
“If anything, it should be optional, so that those who need the training pay to attend. It cannot be compulsory,” he stated.
Calling for urgent action, he added: “The deduction ought to be reversed, and future deductions halted before another scandal hits the scandal-ridden NSA.”
He further cautioned the Authority against implementing similar proposals from NASPA executives.
“The NSA director and management should be cautious about future deductions proposed by NASPA executives for implementation,” he said, arguing that “people who are supposed to serve as leaders in a service year lack the capacity to enter into, implement and enforce such high-value contracts.”
“NSA must not serve as the breeding ground for possible corruption and procurement deals,” he warned.
Adding his voice to the growing criticism, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), Kofi Asare, argued that the National Service Authority already has an arrangement to provide employability training for service personnel.
“The NSA already has a collaboration with UNFPA to provide work readiness training for all National Service personnel through a virtual platform,” he said.
Mr Asare questioned the justification for compelling personnel to pay for another programme.
“If NASPA intends to offer supplementary work readiness training, that does not appear to be government policy and should therefore be strictly optional,” he stated.
He added: “If it is indeed public policy, then it should be financed through public funds, not compulsory deductions from beneficiaries’ allowances.”
Insisting that consent was fundamental, Mr Asare said: “No one should have their allowance deducted to pay for training they neither requested nor consented to.”
He criticised what he described as a pattern of compulsory deductions from National Service allowances, remarking: “Today, insurance. Tomorrow, training. Enough of these old tricks. National Service allowances are not a piggy bank.”
He concluded with a Larteh proverb: “He who wants to ride the horse must feed the horse.”
The National Service Authority and NASPA had not publicly responded to the allegations and concerns raised by the National Service personnel, Mr Awuni and Mr Asare at the time this report was filed.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
