On The Compulsory Life Insurance For National Service Personnel – Our Embodiment In Thievery, Corruption And Poor Leadership

I hope to keep this write up adumbrated and straight forward.

INTRODUCTION

1. Foolish (adj): lacking sense or judgment, unwise.

Its synonyms are imprudent, absurd, unreasonable, stupid, thoughtless, inter alia.

An adjective is a word that “expresses an attribute of something or someone”. It describes an action or behaviour by a person or a group of persons.

For the purposes of this write up, let’s go with lack of judgment, unreasonable, absurd and imprudent.

2. Given, the myriad of problems we face in Ghana and Africa all suffice to poor leadership – extremely bad political leadership. This is mostly constituted by some elderly folks whom have travelled all over the world and seen things been done differently with accompanying results but for the love of money and pride in wickedness have failed to replicate the good things they see out there. Luckily, they have development examples to emulate from these other countries but for the love of money and corruption of power, they come back and live in the mess they’ve hugely contributed to creating here with us.

NUGS AND USAG

3. The older folks have failed us. The youth are the future, but clearly, we are worse and much wicked. Consider the NUGS and USAG, they are now very irrelevant, completely useless and makes no sense we still give them our dues. They foolishly enjoy playing stupid politics and engage in vote rigging, gross corruption and mismanagement. Check their audited reports, their financial statements and bank accounts. It’s a shame. Look, name one single relevant project NUGS for the past decade have done using the dues they take from students. Yet, year on year, people come to contest for positions with political party backings and with meaningless slogans ready to rig elections. They come armed with empty bank accounts to be filled upon assumption of office. This foolishness must stop.

NASPA

4. And yes, those who do not become NUGS, SRC and USAG executives turn in to NASPA. For the past ten years, graduates wake up at dawn and form long queues using stones as representatives just to register for national service. Are you telling me we have not had NASPA Executives for the past decade? None of them had a little wisdom to put this to a stop? What have they ever done about this? It would be same next year, mark my words. Name one single project the past NASPA leaders have done to benefit service personnel? Yet, they have big stomachs and empty heads. Where in this part of the world has there ever been a COMPULSORY LIFE INSURANCE of this sort? You want over 90000 personnel (probably minus those in the private sector) to pay GHS15.00 a month for 9 months making an estimated amount of GHS12, 402,585.

THE COMPULSORY LIFE INSURANCE POLICY

5. The Insurance package will make GH¢3,000 available to service persons who suffer accidents that will keep them off their duties at user agencies for a month. Those who suffer permanent or temporary disability through accidents and death during the service year will also be entitled to GH¢15,000 insurance cover. There will also be free inter MTN calls for service personnel each month. A recharge credit of GHS5 for calls to other networks. Free browsing on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, WeChat, Jobberman website, GLICO website. A 500 free SMS each month, 100% bonus on all MTN recharge made by personnel and a free movie viewing twice a year at Silver Star Cinema(s).
6. From the former NSS boss, only 3 deaths were recorded in last year’s National Service. God forbid even if 5 die this year, GLICO is just to pay GHS 75,000. If 10 have accidents, they would pay GHS30, 000. This make a total of GHS 105,000. This leaves a remaining amount of GHS12,297,585. This is a good 122 billion old Ghana Cedis. Where does this money go? It becomes revenue for GLICO and MTN? I don’t get the thinking behind this. See how unwise and wicked we are, to our own colleagues.
7. Have there been an independent assessment of the number of personnel on Instagram, WeChat? I mean, how many even have WeChat installed on their phones? Free visits to jobberman and GLICO websites? Is there any statistical evidence to determine how many of these personnel whilst students visited jobberman and GLICO websites? How many have earned jobs through that site? What one single reason can be attributed to a service personnel wanting to visit GLICO website? Ah! I don’t get this! And foolishly, the NASPA executives who over saw this thievery think Accra is Ghana. The Greater Accra Region has 29,647 service personnel making it the highest in postings, while the Ashanti Region follows with 17,020 personnel. The Upper East and Upper West regions have the lowest number of postings with 2,107 and 1,657 personnel respectively.
8. Why then would you ever think in a wise way that NSS Personnel would be allowed to free movie viewing twice a year at Silver Star Cinema(s) is a good decision where the cinemas are ONLY located in Accra? Is this sensible? What about the others in the 9 regions? A wise thinker should have added transportation to the package to afford those in the 9 regions the same benefits. Other than that, there is no sense in charging everybody GHS15.00.

THE EXISTENCE OF NASPA

9. I have had to question the credibility and establishment of the National Service Association. The Act of parliament that establishes the national service, the Ghana National Service Scheme Act, 1980 (ACT 426), only makes room for the establishment of a National Service Board and a Management and Staff of the Board which includes the Director of Scheme, Secretary of Scheme and Internal Auditor. It in no part makes mention of the establishment of a National Service Personnel Association (NASPA). I hereby raise the question if the NASPA is a legal entity in the first place. On which legislative or constitutional instrument is NASPA drawing its strength from?

Whereas, the so called NASPA Constitution stated in its chapter one article 2 clause 2.1 that its supremacy is “subject to the constitution and laws of the Republic of Ghana, and regulations of the National Service Scheme”, rightly so the ACT 426, which makes absolutely no mention of NASPA. Where then lies the supremacy of NASPA as a legal entity?

It is thus bedeviling that an illegal entity has been in operation for 34 years now since 1983 and yet cannot point to a single achievement or monumental project. Personnel still use stones in registering and some are even beat up. And now, they are up to thievery and day light robbery.

THE NASPA CONSTITUTION

10. In the so called “Reviewed NASPA Constitution 2013”, the chapter six (6) clause 13.3 has a Welfare Committee with no stated functions and duties and yet to have the audacity to put contributions under clause 13.3.5 and 13.3.7 has an application for loan. (I wonder who even numbers clauses in a constitution in this bizarre manner). Wait a minute, this is extreme foolishness. The Welfare Committee has no stated duties to perform per the constitution, but are mandated to take contributions which you have stated clearly in chapter 10 article 18.1 clause 18.1.1 (a) to be GHS 1.00 monthly. The clause (b) of this section is very outrageous and funny, it says that revenue of the association shall include “special levies imposed by congress as and when it becomes necessary”. You had the gut to use the word IMPOSE. “Impose” means to “force (an unwelcome decision or ruling) on someone”. Is this even a levy?

It is therefore not surprising you would want to impose a compulsory life insurance policy on personnel when you clearly know it would be unwelcomed.

11. However, you have also stated in your so called constitution under chapter 12 article 21.7 that you would cater for “Loss and Bereavement”. What then is the essence of the compulsory insurance policy? Since the inception of the NASPA 33 years ago, how many people have died during national service? Also, how many National Service Personnel has had accidents during their respective service periods? I doubt you even have records or relevant data to support your decision for this thievery.
12. The so called NASPA Constitution has no Judicial Committee. But it does have elections, a financial committee and honorariums and emoluments to be given to its National, Regional and District Executives. It confirms your thievery, wickedness and corruption. What if someone has an issue of election appeal or mismanagement against an executive, who handles such a case? This confirms the illegality of the existence of NASPA in the first place.

As a weird result of, in the so called NASPA Constitution, the “IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT” swears in the President Elect, the Executive Officers Elect and the Executive Council Members. Where does this happen on earth? Not even our SRC’s do this. Why should we graduates be messing up and of course with impunity? Who swore in the President of Ghana? An outgoing or ex-President?

THE CONGRESS DECISION

13. I have heard the argument that the NASPA Executives claim the decision to “impose” a compulsory life insurance policy on National Service Personnel was ratified at congress, which ever congress it may be. It is appalling to again note that the NASPA Constitution does not even clearly state the composition of Congress nor how it’s supposed to be run. It does not state the quota for congress to take a decision. It is trite that the quota for decision making generally is 2/3 of the total membership or delegation of that association.
14. Now if indeed there was a congress, what informed the compulsory life insurance decision? Was there a report on that merited this decision? What was the problem statement? What were the suggested solutions? Are minutes of the congress available to all and sundry? This is a mega decision, as such, did NASPA build consensus and conduct a referendum across the District and Regional NASPA to the National levels? If yes, what report there is? You were able to put the news in the media after the decision had been made by the Executives and their minions

Meanwhile, chapter two (2) article 5.1 clause (b) of the so called NASPA Constitution says its aim is to “to promote the welfare of National Service Personnel”. To wit, who says thievery and corruption from an illegal entity is an art of welfare promotion? Do you wisely and in the minutest of wisdom think that taking a day or two at congress to take such a mega decision is welfare promotion?

15. Finally, congress being the highest decision making body must have been pedantic of all procedures and documents. This I say because the appointment letters given to National Service Personnel was detailed and succinct enough, be it subvented or non-subvented. It clearly states our terms of appointment, remuneration and conditions. It in no part mentions the thievery of a compulsory insurance policy. More so, the point must be well driven home that not even permanent workers in Ghana are coerced or even forced to do a compulsory life insurance.

CONCLUSION
Like I have ever said, this is my obsession with foolishness – that it should not become a possession of our leaders.

The statement is simple, do not let your conscience rob you off a good sleep. Abrogate the so called contract, rescind the decision and revert to integrity.

We need youth leaders who are strong, principled, ethical, have strong values and genuinely want leadership positions to make change and give light to hope. Ghana is in our hands, let’s be patriotic and sensible in our ways. A true leader listens and stays true to his conscience. He upholds truth and correction.

That said, #ThisFoolishnessMustStop.
Written by;
Nkrumah Dzidedi Cyril Korku (NDCK),
A National Service Personnel, formerly of UDS.
#TheThirdEye…..”Transcending the mind’s foresight”.

05/12/2017, 14:23.