NSS Personnel Advised to Remain Calm

By Bernice Bessey

The Executive Director of National Service Scheme (NSS), Mustapha Ussif has advised all service personnel not to rush to the registration centres, as the Secretariat is using a whole month for the registration process of all personnel.

Mr. Mustapha expressed shock at how some service personnel had flooded the Secretariat in large numbers to register for their postings, leading to chaotic scenes.

For example, at the El Wak Military Club House, some personnel complained bitterly about stampede at the venue.

Mr. Mustapha said the registration would be held from Mondays to Fridays of July 24th 2017 to August 24th 2017, giving ample time for the personnel to register and avoid congestion at the Secretariat.

A tour with the Executive Director to some registration centers in Accra yesterday revealed that some personnel even spent the night in the open, while others reported as early as 3am to the registration centres.

In view of the situation, Mr. Mustapha reiterated that one month was long enough for all the personnel to register, adding that the NSS would even consider extension of the days if the need arises.

He stated that the NSS was not prepared to digitise the registration process system, saying that it would continue to use human involvement in the process, to prevent fraudsters from having access to the registration system.

"Some people are already in employment because they only went to school for top-up... they will then give their pin numbers to fraudsters to do the service on their behalf, which is not permitted," he stated.

"The requirements for the registration, however, remain the same. These include provision of students' identity card in addition to any one of the national identity cards, namely valid voter I.D, passport or drivers' licence. National Health Insurance cards would not be accepted," he warned.

The NSS boss was happy that the process in other parts of the country was smooth.

One of the personnel, who only gave her name as Ama, told The Chronicle that though she reported to the centre at 3am Monday.

Ama lamented that: "The registration process is so bad. Every year the same problem happens again. Only six NSS staff are registering over 1000 students.

"It is very bad and from the look of things, we are not even going home now. They should create an online registration system which will facilitate smooth registration and also solve the problem of overcrowding of the registration, or the registration should be done at personnel's respective institutions of graduation."

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