Upper East regional branch of National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) has called on government to take pragmatic measures to boost and position the private sector to help absorb the teeming unemployed graduates in the country.
Regional President of the Association Daniel Asaah said freezing of employment in the public sector coupled with economic challenges in the country has worsened the plight of unemployed graduates hence the need to create an enabling environment for an upsurge in the private sector.
The regional NASPA President was speaking exclusively to A1 radio on the sidelines of a donation exercise to Next Generation Orphanage Home in Bolgatanga as part of NASPA week-long celebration.
The National Service Scheme recently offered an optional extension of six months to personnel at post and who are willing to be redeployed for the additional period. Mr. Asaah commended the scheme for such an initiative but entreated government to adopt measures to improve the scheme and challenges facing the youth of the country.
“Our service allowance which is Ghc 350 is nothing to write home about. Utility bills are very high, there could have been some increment that commensurate the kind of situation we found ourselves which Ghc 350 cannot really guarantee a sustainable livelihood in a month. So my humble plea to government is if something could be done for the 2016/2017 potential service personnel with regards to the service allowance, I think it will be a very good decision in a right direction” he noted.
Delay in payment of allowance and unavailability of accommodation to personnel posted at remote communities are some challenges the regional NASPA president cited.
The regional NASPA branch as part of its week-long celebration donated assorted items including two bags of rice, one big gallon of cooking oil, two boxes of cream cracker biscuit, bail of toilet rolls, assorted fruit drinks, carton of milk and carton of yazz soap to the Next Generation Orphanage Home.
Board secretary of the orphanage, Winifred Akapanga commended the service personnel for the kind gesture and prevailed upon other benevolent organizations and individuals to support the needs of the children.
Regional Director of the scheme, Paul Appiah Owusu said the donation forms part of the scheme’s corporate social responsibility to give back to the society. Mr. Appiah on the occasion thanked God for protecting the service personnel and administrators of the scheme through a successful period of service.
By: Joshua Asaah | A1RADIOONLINE.com | Ghana
