Refund GH₵60 deductions to National Service personnel if no training was delivered – NPP's Francis Asare

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communications Officer for the Biakoye Constituency in the Oti Region, Francis Asare, has called for a thorough investigation into the controversial GH₵60 monthly deductions from the allowances of National Service personnel, insisting that any beneficiary who did not receive the promised capacity-building training should be refunded.

Speaking on the Bubune Morning Show with host Nana Yaw Asiamah, Mr. Asare questioned the rationale behind making the deductions mandatory, arguing that the initiative failed to consider the diverse academic and professional backgrounds of National Service personnel.

According to him, personnel comprise graduates from education, nursing, engineering, agriculture and several other disciplines, making it difficult for a single capacity-building programme to meet everyone's professional needs.

"I believe capacity building is important, but it should have been voluntary. A one-size-fits-all training programme cannot adequately address the needs of graduates from different fields," he said.

Mr. Asare also expressed concern about the financial implications of the deductions, noting that with more than 70,000 National Service personnel nationwide, deducting GH₵60 monthly over several months amounts to millions of cedis.

He urged the government to investigate the company contracted to organise the training programme to determine whether due process was followed and whether there were any conflicts of interest.

"There should be a proper investigation so that Ghanaians know who is behind these companies. We must ensure this is not another case of friends and family benefiting at the expense of young graduates," he stated.

The NPP communicator commended the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) for raising concerns that eventually led to the suspension of the deductions, while also praising the Minister responsible for halting the programme. However, he stressed that government institutions must become more proactive instead of waiting for public pressure before taking action.

"If the programme was genuinely beneficial and transparent, it probably would not have been halted. Government agencies should identify these issues early rather than waiting until they become public scandals," he added.

Mr. Asare further appealed for all monies deducted from personnel who did not receive any training to be refunded.

"If they did not benefit from the capacity-building programme, then the honourable thing to do is refund every pesewa deducted from them," he said.

He noted that many National Service personnel endure difficult living conditions while serving in remote communities, making every cedi of their allowance important.

"Some personnel use that money to pay rent or meet basic needs. For someone paying about GH₵50 rent in a rural community, a GH₵60 deduction represents more than a month's accommodation cost," he observed.

As part of long-term reforms, Mr. Asare proposed intensified monitoring and evaluation within the National Service Authority, regular payroll audits every three months to eliminate ghost names, and increasing monitoring officers at the district level to improve supervision.

He also recommended that future capacity-building programmes should be tailored to specific professional fields instead of imposing a generic training package on all personnel.

He further urged National Service personnel to honour their postings and avoid abandoning their assigned stations without authorisation, arguing that regular audits would help eliminate absenteeism and other forms of abuse within the system.

Mr. Asare concluded by praising NASPA's national leadership for defending the interests of service personnel and encouraging authorities to close financial leakages within the National Service Authority to safeguard public funds.