'It’s unfair' – Youth Dev't Minister vows to pay 4 months NSS arrears

George Opare Addo, the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, has described the delay in paying National Service Scheme (NSS) personnel their arrears as “unfair” and pledged to ensure the situation is resolved promptly.

NSS personnel have gone without their allowances for four months, a situation that has caused significant concern given Ghana’s current economic challenges.

Speaking to the media, Opare Addo expressed his worry about the plight of the service personnel and assured them that efforts are underway to address the issue.

We know the challenges that confront the service personnel. As it stands now, my assurances to them are that we will liaise with the finance minister so that quickly their allowances will be released to them

He emphasised the gravity of the situation, stating:

It is unfair for anybody to go four months without receiving a salary in this current economic dispensation we find ourselves in.

When asked about measures to prevent similar situations in the future, the minister revealed that the management of the National Service Authority is working on pragmatic steps to ensure such delays do not recur.

I believe the management of the National Service Authority is going to introduce pragmatic steps to ensure that this does not happen again

On the Fourth Estate’s undercover investigations

Opare Addo also addressed recent undercover investigations by The Fourth Estate into the National Service Scheme. He affirmed the government’s commitment to using the full power of the law to prosecute individuals found guilty of misconduct.

The state has rules and regulations; anybody who commits an offence against the state is allowed to go to court so that his accusers put forward whatever evidence they have before him. If the investigative authorities are done with their work and anybody is found guilty, we shall use the full powers of the state to prosecute them and make sure, if found guilty, they’re sanctioned heavily so that it will become a deterrent to anybody who wants to do the same in the future.

The minister’s assurances reflect a commitment to addressing both the immediate challenges faced by service personnel and systemic issues within the National Service Scheme.

Read Full Story