National Service Personnel or Errand Personnel?

The National Service Scheme is the agency in charge of posting our graduates or qualified Ghanaians to pursue their mandatory one-year national service. The Scheme is the creation of law.

Every year, more than 60,000 graduates from our various tertiary institutions: both public and private are posted to the various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to pursue a compulsory service for the nation. Private organizations also benefit from the postings.

The service personnel is involved in teaching, social work, marketing, media: journalism, public relations, public health, legal, administration, oil and gas, parliamentary duties, etc.

They are mostly posted in all the public sectors of the economy. All the sixteen regions of the country; 261 Metropolitan, Municipal, and Districts Assemblies and in 275 constituencies.

The citizens are expected to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the personnel.

The personnel is to be assisted by their hosts to contribute to the development of the various sectors they have been deployed to work with.

I have noticed a particular trend especially when personnel who have been posted to the various Ministries, in particular. Most of them are not assigned any role to perform. They are rather being used as errand boys and girls. They are seen running errands for Directors, semi senior officials, and other officials of the lower ranks.

This attitude by their hosts must stop. It is disheartening. That is not the rationale for their postings. They are not to run errands, please. It is nauseating and sickening. Human Resource Directors of the various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies should halt this act. Our young men and women’s energies should be used productively not what we see in the current dispensation.

The Scheme should also activate its monitoring role to ensure that its ‘products’ are assigned their dutiful tasks for the sake of Ghana. The personnel should also take the opportunity of their postings to learn, contribute their quota and also establish good human relations for their future recommendations for permanent jobs.

The ladies should not use their beauties for anything negative or unwarranted; rather they should concentrate on the tasks assigned to them. National Service is a springboard for future engagements, not for any pale intent.

We should use the services of our personnel to help in the development of our economy not turning them into slaves or errands.

I pray that the new Executive Secretary and his team will ensure that the personnel for once will enjoy their service by effectively being used wisely and productively.

Allah is watching.

Salaam

Ahmed Osumanu Halid.

Nima 441