NSS Personnel Fumes Over Deductions In Allowance

A group calling itself Concerned National Service Personnel are unhappy at the rate at which the Secretariat of the National Service Scheme (NSS) are making deductions from their allowance.

According to a statement co signed by the Director of Communications, Eric Dawda and Convenor of the group, Solomon Ananpansah, they described the deductions as an ‘unlawful, unfair and illegal’ act.

The NSS Personnel complained of receiving a fifteen Ghana cedis (GH¢15) deduction from their June allowance without any prior notice.

They also made mention of a previous deduction which was purported to be for a Life Insurance Policy but was later challenged in court.

“National Service Personnel are determined and prepared to take appropriate legal steps to resist this unlawful, unfair and illegal deductions just as we resisted the fraudulent Insurance policy by the National Service Scheme,” the statement read.

Quoting Act,1960(Act 29), the group is seeking to challenge the secretariat in court based on the fact that their consent was not sought and as such the act is thievery.

Read the full statement below:

THE ILLEGAL AND UNLAWFUL DEDUCTION OF OUR MONIES BY THE NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME (NSS) WILL BE RESISTED

National Service Personnel across the country who are currently undertaking our mandatory National service under subvented category (government agencies) were immobilized with shock and disbelief when the National Service Scheme(NSS) without any prior notice proceeded to deduct from our paid June allowance yesterday, an amount of fifteen Ghana cedis (GHC 15). We note that, this is not the first time the Scheme is making such an attempt to “rob the poor Service person of his meager allowance “, the last attempt was an imposition of a Life Insurance Policy on all service Persons, to which, we resisted and had to seek refuge at the law Court.

We are seriously opposed to this deduction on the basis that, it is unlawful, unfair and illegal. As Service Personnel, we are determined and prepared to take appropriate legal steps to ensure that this callous breaches on our fundamental human right and freedoms as enshrined in article 21(1)(e) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana are restored in full.

Ladies and gentlemen, It is instructive to note that, by the terms and conditions of our service as National Service Personnel as contained in the appointment letters issued to us by the National Service Scheme, we are to be paid a monthly non-taxable allowance of five hundred and fifty nine Ghana cedis, four pesewas(GHC 559.04). We are therefore at a loss, as to why the Scheme, without our express prior consent will proceed to deduct fifteen Ghana cedis(GHC 15) from our allowances and only end up paying us five hundred and forty four Ghana cedis, four pesewas(544.04).

We aver that,

I) The said unlawful deduction was effected by the National Service Scheme and for that matter, the scheme cannot purport to shed the consequences of this act of criminality on an Association which has no capacity to take any decision to bind service personnel bearing in mind the explicit provision of article 21(1) (e) of the 199 constitution.

II) The said unlawful deduction is fraudulent in nature within the purview of section 16 of the criminal offences Act,1960(Act 29)due to the fact that, our consent was not sought before the scheme went ahead to deduct the said amount from our allowance.

III) This unlawful deduction is an act of stealing within the ambit of section 124 of the criminal Offences Act,1960(Act 29)

IV)This deduction is not grounded in any law and for that, we do consider this deduction as an illegality with intention to rob us of our meager service allowance.

V). The National service scheme Act,1980( Act 426) does not recognise NASPA and for that matter, this unlawful deduction cannot purport to be a decision of the said Association(NASPA)

National Service Personnel are determined and prepared to take appropriate legal steps to resist this unlawful, unfair and illegal deductions just as we resisted the fraudulent Insurance policy by the National Service Scheme.

We call on all our gallant National Service Personnel across the country engaged in the patriotic service to our beloved country to remain calm in this trying times, even as we take appropriate legal steps to have our rights and dignity restored.

Thank You

….Signed……

Ananpansah, Solomon
Convenor, CONCERNED NATIONAL SERVICE PERSONNEL
(0207262608)

Dawda Eric(Equity)
Director of Communications, CONCERNED NATIONAL SERVICE PERSONNEL
(0541695811)