The NSS announced the  insurance package, which will see a monthly deduction of GH¢ 15 from the meager allowances of service personnel, some whom have since expressed displeasure that it was launched without due consultation.

[contextly_sidebar id=”GXtkbWc5Uu7kI11Dx79ZqIu9uxJX9sRr”]According to Dr. Kpessah Whyte, who was speaking on Eyewitness News, the motives behind the  sudden introduction of the insurance policy by the current management of the NSS were unclear, suggesting that it was certainly not for the benefit of the service personnel.

“We have several insurance companies in this country and that presupposes that insurance is good. In insurance studies, we actually say insurance is a necessary evil. It is a very good thing, but insurance has to be bought only when it solves particular risks or addresses particular contingencies. To that extent, what the National Service Management is doing which the greatest respect to them, is not solving any problem. In other words, they are not clear on what they want to do and the problem they want to address with this policy,” he noted.

Speaking on the Point Blank segment of Eyewitness News on Friday, he argued that while insurance in general is a positive thing, NSS personnel do not face the kind of risks which necessitates such a policy for the already poorly paid personnel.

“National Service personnel are not posted to Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan or any of the conflict-prone areas. They are posted to Ghanaian public and private institutions…The policy looks good on paper, but the reality is such a claim needs to be backed by data.”

“In the two years I was at the Scheme, matters relating to deaths were about two or three and matters relating to accidents were about three or four. Out of about 80, 000 personnel, if within two years you have two deaths which were not because of service, why would we think that there is such a risk to impose 15 cedis a month on each of them every year gathering a whopping  15 million cedis to an insurance company.  It’s a case of daylight robbery, unfortunately,” he said

Paying off political debts

The NSS partnered with MTN and Glico Life Insurance, earlier this week, to launch the life insurance cover for the over 90,000 personnel.

This compulsory insurance package spearheaded by various insurance companies, is expected to pay claims to service personnel who get involved in accidents in their line of duty.

The claims vary from GHc 15,000 in cases of death or incapacitation, and gh3,000 for cases of temporary disability.

As part of the insurance package, National Service personnel are entitled to a GHc 500 loan which is payable within six months.

However, Dr. Kpessah Whyte alleged that, the policy might have been put in place as a way to service debts the governing New Patriotic Party had incurred during the campaign ahead of the elections in 2016.

He stated that, recent claims by a senior member of the party had suggested that, the head of Glico Life Insurance, who had allegedly financed the NPP’s campaign, had not yet been “settled”, and that the insurance policy was a scheme to pay back those debts “on the back of national service personnel, perhaps the lowest paid category of people in this country.”

“I really don’t think that this policy is being put in place to address the problems of National Service personnel. A few days ago, a senior member of the NPP on one of the TV stations said that there is a particular man who had brought in 1 million cedis to support their campaign and that man has not been sorted out yet. Google GLICO insurance and check who the owner is. This suggests that we have a problem and we need to address it frontally,” he said.

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By; Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NSS insurance policy is ‘daylight robbery’ – Kpessah Whyte appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He said he as handed over the keys to his office and keys to his official car to the management.

In a tweet on Friday, January 6, the former lecturer expressed his appreciation to the management of the scheme and thanked former President, John Mahama for the opportunity to service in the office.

Just met with Management of National Service Scheme.Thanked them for their service to Ghana. Handed over office keys and car. Grateful JDM.

— Michael Kpessa-Whyte (@kpessawhyte) January 6, 2017

Kpessah Whyte, who was also a Presidential staffer in the John Mahama administration, took over leadership of the NSS in October 2014, following a massive corruption scandal that hit the scheme that year.

The former Executive Director, Alhaji Alhasan Imoro, and 26 others, were interdicted over some GHC7.9 million that was paid to 22,612 non-existent national service persons in more than 100 districts in July 2014.

Following his assumption of office as the acting executive director, he instituted a number of measures to prevent any such manipulation of the scheme’s system.

Among the changes, he ensured as the scheme’s head, was an increase of National Service allowance from GH¢243 to GH¢350 and subsequently to GH¢559 in December 2016.

Models such as the Urban traffic management programme and urban waste management programmes, were introduced as part of options for prospective national service personnel.

Among the reforms, Dr. Kpessah Whyte introduced, were the early registration for service personnel and biometric registration, to facilitate monitoring and ensure efficient disbursement of monthly allowances.

Dr. Kpessah Whyte, while serving as NSS boss, contested the National Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries for the Shai Osudoku constituency seat, but lost to Desmond William Ocloo, who beat Kpessah-Whyte and the incumbent David Tetteh-Assumeng who had been in parliament since 2004.

The demise of Mr Ocloo resulted in another parliamentary primaries that saw Kpessah Whyte being defeated again by the wife of the late Mr. Ocloo.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post I’ve handed over office and car keys – NSS boss appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The items presented to the orphanage by the firm include bags of rice, cartons of milk, boxes of milo and key soap, and footballs.

For the past 3 years the Blavo family and the law firm has donated money, including amounts of £5,500, £5,700 and £8,000 in 2011, 2012 and 2013 respectively, and other items for the inmates and the upkeep of the Orphanage.

The donation was made by John Blavo, the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Blavo and Co Solicitors, to the founder of the Baptist School Orphanage, Reverend Victor Ofori Amoah.

The donation is part of an annual ritual by the company to help the poor, deprived and forgotten groups in the society.

The excited orphans ended the short presentation ceremony with an impressive choreography.

By: Sammi Wiafe/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Blavo & Co donate to BASCO orphanage appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.