The scheme in a statement copied to citifmonline.com, said the “insurance policy is now optional.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”4riEtze2d5bGwgBBi5VY8DToDEogVtmU”]It said the decision to make the policy optional for interested national service personnel was taken at an Emergency Executive Council Meeting of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) in Accra on Wednesday.

The statement signed by the Executive Director, Mustapha Ussif, said the management of the scheme has in the light of the decision suspended the mandatory GH¢15 deduction from the monthly allowance of service personnel.

Read the statement below:

The insurance policy for national service personnel has now been made optional for interested national service personnel who wish to sign onto the policy.

The decision was taken at an Emergency Executive Council Meeting of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) held in Accra today, after broad consultations with major stakeholders on the policy, and how best it would serve the interest of national service personnel.

Management has therefore decided to suspend the mandatory monthly deductions of GHȼ15.00 from personnel allowances.

Management wishes to urge all national service personnel to remain calm as their concerns regarding the insurance policy are being addressed.

It is unclear what the new arrangement between the National Service Scheme and the service providers will be since the secretariat signed the agreement with the intention of serving all personnel in state institutions.

The management is also yet to make public procedures interested personnel can follow to apply and benefit from the insruance policy.

NSS personnel drag secretariat, executive director to court

Some disgruntled National Service personnel last week, sued the National Service Scheme and its Executive Director, Mustapha Ussif, over the GH¢ 15 compulsory insurance charges.

The personnel say the deduction from their allowance is unlawful and unreasonable. That case is yet to be heard.

NSS personnel petition CHRAJ over compulsory insurance 

Some National Service Personnel earlier in December petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), over the mandatory insurance package introduced for them by the National Service Secretariat.

According to them, the imposition of the insurance package infringes on their basic human rights since the decisions taken by the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), does not bind all service personnel.

Service personnel agreed to ‘compulsory’ insurance – NSS Boss

The National Service Scheme’s head, Mustapha Ussif, in the face of the resistance, repeatedly denied suggestions that the compulsory insurance package meant for all service personnel in the country is being imposed on the personnel.

He insisted that the personnel backed the insurance package, and even pushed the management of the Scheme to implement it.

He said the National Service Personnel Association of Ghana (NASPA), the group which represents service personnel across the country, decided unanimously at their Congress to back the policy.

The insurance package

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 GHS3,000 for cases of disability. As part of the insurance package, National Service personnel are entitled to a GHc 500 loan which is payable within six months.

NSS insurance meant to reward NPP financier – Kpessah Whyte

A former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Dr. Michael Kpessah-Whyte, had alleged that the compulsory insurance package is a venture to pay back a financier of the governing New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) election campaign.

According to him, the insurance scheme may have been put together to reward the owner of a known insurance company, who supported the NPP’s campaign with GH¢1 million.
He is thus of the view that the policy is not in the interest of National Service persons, and that it constitutes “daylight robbery.”

NSS insurance scheme not a reward from NPP – GLICO

However, GLICO Life has denied allegations that its engagement with the NSS to provide an insurance package for National Service personnel, is a reward for the company because the owner was a financier of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The Managing Director of GLICO Life, Forkuo Kyei, in a statement to citifmonline.com said the allegations are unfounded as GLICO Life is part of five other companies offering the insurance package to the service personnel.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NSS makes U-turn; insurance policy now optional appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the NSS, the service personnel had backed the insurance package and even pushed the management of the Scheme to implement it.

[contextly_sidebar id=”OYzZfdfotDfZwiPb4O7xkoWtxjnivS1p”]The NSS earlier this week directed all regional directors to ensure the deduction of Ghc15.00 from the allowances of all National Service Personnel effective November, as part of the implementation of the package.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, the Executive Director of the NSS, Mustapha Ussif, revealed that the National Service Personnel Association of Ghana (NASPA), the group which represents service personnel across the country, decided unanimously at their Congress to back the policy.

He stated that it was based on the decision by NASPA that the NSS had decided to go ahead with the implementation of the insurance package.

“We are not imposing the insurance on National Service personnel. Sometime in May, between the 22nd and 24th, NASPA, at their own Congress, passed a resolution that they wanted the management of the Secretariat to support the implementation of an insurance package for all service personnel across the country. When they submitted the resolution to me on May 26, I called on them to brief me on it. It was based on this that the National Service is only facilitating. So if any service personnel have any grievances, they have their constitution and they know how to resolve any issues they have,” he said.

Some Service Personnel oppose insurance package

Some National Service personnel have opposed the policy, calling for it to be made optional, with each personnel being allowed to decide whether to accept the package or not.

There have been calls for the package to be scrapped given the opposition from some personnel, however, according to Mustapha Ussif, the policy has gained widespread support from the beneficiaries, some of whom have presented a petition calling for it to be retained.

“Majority of national Service personnel across the country are also in favour of the insurance package. It was a unanimous decision at Congress, there wasn’t a dissenting view. So where were those people who aren’t in favour when the resolution was passed?,” he queried.

Mustapha Ussif called on personnel who had issues with the policy to go through the internal channels of their National Association to air their grievances.

He insisted that, the decision was taken in the best interest of the service personnel, but if NASPA collectively calls for a revocation of the insurance package, the NSS would have no choice but to revise it.

“It’s true that I am the boss of the National Service, but I don’t dictate to NASPA. They have a Constitution which is a legal document. Once they take a decision at their Congress, if any service personnel aren’t happy and have grievances with whatever decisions their leadership have taken, they should follow those grievances and resolve it. If their leadership come back to me and say they have revoked their decision, I can only support them,” he said.

“We are here to ensure that their welfare is catered for, I have no interest. My interest is to ensure that service personnel across the country do their programme, are able to learn basic skills and become employable after their service and also be able to bring in new models like technologies and innovations. If so-called experts are saying the insurance package is not right, then the leadership of NASPA should go back and revise their decision and let me know, then I can take a decision based on that”.

The insurance package

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 GHS3,000 for cases of disability.

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

NSS insurance meant to reward NPP financier – Kpessah Whyte

A former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Dr. Michael Kpessah-Whyte, had alleged that the compulsory insurance package for national service personnel is a venture to pay back a financier of the governing New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) election campaign.

According to him, the insurance scheme may have been put together to reward the owner of a known insurance company, who supported the NPP’s campaign with GH¢1 million.

He is thus of the view that the policy is not in the interest of National Service persons, and that it constitutes “daylight robbery“.

NSS insurance scheme not a reward from NPP – GLICO

However, GLICO Life has denied allegations that its engagement with the NSS to provide an insurance package for National Service personnel, is a reward for the company because the owner was a financier of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The Managing Director of GLICO Life, Forkuo Kyei, in a statement to citifmonline.com said the allegations are unfounded as GLICO Life is part of five other companies offering the insurance package to the service personnel.

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Service personnel agreed to ‘compulsory’ insurance – NSS Boss appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

They want the insurance payment to be optional and not mandatory for all service personnel.

[contextly_sidebar id=”WWJ2HfCHUexVMljGdzehHMgB6V3eyflL”]Following the launch of the insurance package earlier in November, the Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Ussif Mustapha, in a circular this week, directed all regional directors to deduct GH¢ 15 from the GH¢559 monthly allowances of service personnel beginning this month.

But speaking to Citi News, the NASPA president for Awutu Senya Municipal, Luis Kwame Anane said the decision is arbitrary and must be reviewed.

“Even though it is a congress decision, all the service personnel are against it. I suggest that the outgoing NSS and the necessary stakeholders listen but if they want to face the outrage of personnel of people picketing and refusing to go to work and cause that mayhem before they react, it will be bad because they need to be proactive.”

“Listen to the voice of the people. When you look at accommodation and employment issues of personnel, delay in [payment of] allowances and all that, they should look at policies that that will address these concerns. That is what they should focus on,” he said.

About the NSS Insurance Package

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 GH¢ 15,000 in cases of death or incapacitation and GH¢3,000 for cases of disability.

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

But some service personnel have kicked against the package, saying that it is being imposed on them. According to them, they were not informed about the package before it was formally launched.

They also expressed disappointment that it was not made optional but compulsory.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Compulsory NSS insurance must be reviewed – NASPA appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Managing Director of GLICO Life, Forkuo Kyei, in a statement to citifmonline.com said the allegations are unfounded as GLICO Life is part of five other companies offering the insurance package to the service personnel.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ebLhdhWL9NdqjouRUtSOrf1hXdSH92Ws”]A former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, Dr. Michael Kpessah-Whyte, in an interview on the Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News last week, suggested that the owner of GLICO had supported the NPP’s 2016 election campaign with GHS 1 million, and its involvement with the NSS was meant to repay the party financier.

Although Mr. Kpessah-Whyte failed to give more details about the allegation, he said his information was supported by a recent TV interview involving an NPP bigwig who indicated that the party financier was yet to be ‘sorted out’ for his support to the party.

“I really don’t think that this something that is genuinely intended to address the problem 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 [NPP] campaign and that man has not been sorted out yet. Google GLICO insurance and check who the owner is… track that TV interview and match the name of the person who was mentioned. This suggests that, we have a problem and we need to address it frontally,” he said.

But the Managing Director of GLICO, Forkuo Kyei, said “we are only one of the six insurance companies providing the insurance bit of the package…Is Kpessa- Whyte’s saying that the lifestyle package initiated by NASPA, with the Government having no hand in it, is a reward for GLICO and these other five companies- star life, vanguard life, GN life, Enterprise life, quality life? I think people should be serious with some of these things with respect to the total benefits to the people rather than playing unnecessary politics and making unfounded and illogical assertions.”

About the NSS Insurance Package

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 GHS3,000 for cases of disability.

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

But some service personnel have kicked against the package, saying that it is being imposed on them. According to them, they were not informed about the package before it was formally launched.

They also expressed disappointment that it was not made optional but compulsory.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NSS insurance scheme not a reward from NPP – GLICO appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

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.

According to them, the insurance package, which will see a monthly deduction of GH¢ 15 from their meager allowance, was launched without due consultation with personnel.

The National Service Scheme in partnership with MTN and Glico Life Insurance, earlier this week launched a life insurance cover for the over 90,000 personnel.

Some other benefits of the insurance scheme include free phone calls and text messages among MTN users.

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.

Service Personnel will also be charged GHc 15 on a monthly basis as insurance deductions for the package.

But the aggrieved National Service Personnel say they did not consent to the roll-out of the scheme, and do not agree to its imposition on them.

One of the personnel, Gyamfi Shadrack Gyasi said, “we are against it. They didn’t sit down with us to gather our views. They don’t know whether some personnel have already gotten a private insurance policy. This is a way to steal from us. GH¢ 15 is too much. If they want to help us with an insurance policy, they should contact the government and do that for us, but not take money from the meager money we earn. We are against it. It must be optional,” he said.

Some of the aggrieved personnel, have threatened to stage a demonstration over the matter.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NSS personnel kick against ‘compulsory’ insurance scheme appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Accra based radio station burst onto the media scene 10 years ago as an underdog and has risen to become a major player in the industry under the leadership of Samual Attah-Mensah. The Citi FM boss will be on the show to talk about the philosophy underpinning the stations’ staggering success over the years.

Also on the show is the team that holds our mornings captive with their exciting, unique and opinionated Citi Breakfast Show, the city’s biggest conversation.

The gang of  5 CITIzens –  led by the purposeful and intelligent Bernard Avle,  and made up of hard-balling Richard Dela Sky, no-nonsense Nana Ama Agyemang Asante,  sports guru Godfred Akoto Boafo and  Johny-come-lately Kojo Akoto Boateng – will sit down with KSM to reveal what makes the show tick!

Of course the episode would not be complete without our regular culprits,  The Three Wisemen,  Dzimtiri and Queeny, who will all keep you laughing throughout the show.

So tune in to Metro TV this Friday at 8:30pm for yet another great episode of  The KSM Show, Citi Style…….Chaley!

Follow the KSM Show on twitter https://twitter.com/KSM_Kwaku_Misa and like the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/theksmshow.

Source: The KSM Show

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