The National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) has suspended its capacity-building programme after facing backlash from service personnel over the deduction of GH¢60 from their monthly allowances to support the initiative.
The association said the decision follows concerns raised by national service personnel regarding the consultation process and the financial burden of the deduction, which some argued was introduced without sufficient engagement.
NASPA National President Abdul-Wahab Bala Mohammed announced the suspension at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, July 21, saying the programme would undergo a comprehensive review.
He said although NASPA believed the initiative could improve the employability and professional development of national service personnel, the concerns raised by beneficiaries required further assessment.
“We believe that the package represented value for money, especially considering the potential return on investment in terms of your future employability. However, we fully acknowledge that the financial commitment required may not have been reasonable for all service personnel,” he said.
The programme was introduced as a capacity-building intervention aimed at equipping national service personnel with additional skills to improve their chances of securing employment after their service period.
However, the initiative sparked controversy after some personnel raised objections to a GH¢60 deduction from their allowances, questioning whether they had given consent for the payment.
Mr Mohammed explained that the association initially engaged the National Service Authority (NSA) to reduce the cost of the programme after concerns emerged over the financial implications.
He said NASPA requested that the amount be reduced and spread over four months, resulting in a GH¢15 monthly deduction from service personnel.
“NASPA formally requested the National Service Authority to facilitate a reduction of 60 Ghana cedis to represent the duration of the training over a four-month learning period, that is, 15 cedis per month, to offset part of the programme costs already incurred,” he said.
Despite the adjustment, concerns over the deduction and the level of consultation continued to grow, prompting further engagements with stakeholders.
Mr Mohammed said NASPA subsequently engaged its newly elected regional executives, collected feedback from service personnel and held discussions with the management of the National Service Authority to assess the concerns.
“As concerns about the programme intensified, particularly regarding the deductions and the level of consultation, we took our time to engage our newly elected regional executives, receive feedback from service personnel, as well as carefully review the issues that had been raised,” he said.
He said the decision to suspend the programme was also influenced by directives from the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment and the governing board of the National Service Authority.
“The capacity-building programme, as currently structured, is hereby suspended with immediate effect, pending a comprehensive review of the programme for a decisive action to be taken,” he said.
The NASPA president assured national service personnel that no additional deductions would be made in relation to the training programme while the review process continues.
“We wish to assure every National Service person that there will be no further deductions on behalf of or in relation to the capacity-building training,” he said.
Mr Mohammed welcomed the decision to suspend the initiative, thanking the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, the NSA board and management for responding to concerns raised by service personnel and the public.
The suspension comes after public debate over the authority of NASPA and the NSA to deduct money from national service allowances for the programme, with personnel demanding greater transparency and consultation before such decisions are implemented.