No one wants to be treated unfairly, Why won’t we believe there is a parochial interest , why won’t we believe a strong cartel is hiding behind this wanting to jump on our allowances, When are we going to put an end to all this unjust practices and antiquated means of policy formulation And implementation, are we in the stone age or age of enlightenment.
We were dumbfounded by a news item published by ww.3news.com whiles going about our national duties concerning a mandatory NSS life insurance policy launched by the Deputy NSS director Henry Nana Boakye stating that everything seems to be moving on smoothly for National Service Personnel serving the country as the government plans to introduce new insurance policy for them and that the National Service Scheme is collaborating with Glico Insurance and other companies to insure service personnel across the country.
READ: National Service personnel to pay mandatory GHC15 monthly for insurance
According to him, the insurance policy will come to help address most challenges and difficulties we go through during our one year service to the nation.
The policy which was launched today, 31st October 2017, is characterized by what I term as gross leniency error; because, currently, staring at the scheme is some genuinely registered service personnels in the country undertaking their mandatory service to the country on an empty stomach due to NSS press release last week, that about 8,000 service personnel’s across the countries payment are put on hold because the Secretariat felt there was the need to do more auditing and investigations before they go ahead with their payment.
This are purely administrative bottlenecks which we expected to be the headache of the Government that valid service personnels captured in the 8000 are at post will be paid before speaking on any issue. But to our surprise, is the launch of a Life insurance policy; forgetting about NHIS and the fact that, some of us[Service Personnels] are already insured or registered contributors with these same insurance companies and can’t do dual registrations to be deducted unnecessarily, the irregularities are just uncountable.
We, the National Service Personnel of Ghana therefore, wish to tell the government that, the monthly allowance (Gh 559.40) is not enough for us therefore we vehemently reject the imposition of a life insurance policy which terms and conditions is not clearly defined to us. Undoubtedly, the policy is a great intervention but suffers a compositional ailment, and was hastily launched without proper engagements with the constituents involved in other to resolve whether or not the policy is better of mandatory or optional. Life insurance policy is not by force for both public and civil servants so we ask the government not to cast a slur on its hard earned reputation just because of this hasty leniency error intervention.
Tell us who benefits from the insurance proceeds after the substantive contributors are done with their one year of service to our beloved country? Is there going to be a refund? If yes I ask whether it comes with an interest. The questions goes on and on. We better come clear on issues for we won’t allow ourselves to be cheated. For you to feel our pain note that this will inconvenience a lot of us, we ask the authorities to banish all inclinations to this self-centeredness and bear in mind that “a tool may be less functional when only the owner benefits from it”.
The speed at which this policy is been passed is unjust. One must know that Injustice is counter productive and puts people in disequilibrium or despondency. No one wants to be treated unfairly for unfair treatments always has implications on corporate reputation and organizational branding.
I cracked the whip because what is meant for good is shrowded with countless irregularities and inconsistencies and for that matter we the hard-working service personnel are not happy with this straight jacket intervention and I posit that for effectiveness and peaceful implementation, the Government should go back to the drawing board and build a more flexible, unified, bolder and stronger approach of implementing this policy with the about to be elected NASPA EXECUTIVES across board , state clear cut conditions of the purported life insurance policy, educate personnel about the policy and finally make room for those interested to apply and those who don’t want to be enrolled on the policy to be left alone since ones contribution determines whether or not one is a beneficiary, we as a nation cannot be making jokes out of every serious social problem and the flaws it generates, Do not rape the system.
National Service Personnel are dissatisfied with this life insurance policy approach and ask that the Government treats this issue with a posture of urgency and Rather make reforms in the policy for it to be OPTIONAL and not MANDATORY.
By LOUIS K. ANANI on behalf of all Service personnel|3news.com|Ghana