Thousands illegal recruited into National Voluntary Service Scheme

Tamale, Oct. 30, GNA - Thousands of people have been illegally recruited into the Tamale's office of the National Voluntary Service Scheme denying the qualified and rightful individuals the opportunity. Persons who are qualified to serve under the scheme were supposed to have completed tertiary institutions and must have done national service but investigations conducted by the GNA indicated that some people who had not got any tertiary exposure or any certificate had been recruited and given appointment letters.

On Wednesday when the GNA got to the offices of the Northern Regional Office of the National Service Secretariat one Tuarik Mohammed with service number 220/09 embossed on his appointment letter came to the office to finalize registration procedures.

When questioned about the tertiary institution he completed, he admitted he had not completed any tertiary institution. Tuarik, who was posted to the Islamic unit as a teacher, said it was his brother who gave the appointment letter to him. Thousands of graduates who had just completed their national service in the Northern Region applied for the voluntary service, attended interviews and finished their orientations only to be told their letters had been given to some other people.

The GNA gathered that such illegality had increased graduate unemployment in the Tamale metropolis. The Northern Regional Director of the National Service Scheme, Mr. Salas Nantogma, was out of the region and could not be contacted for any commends. A source who pleaded anonymity said "there is a very high political intervention in the Voluntary Service Scheme. In other regions, it is not like that".

The source said some political stalwarts trooped to the office daily to get appointment letters for persons who had neither completed a tertiary institution nor been to school at all. It added that until something is done about the situation, the service would turn to serve political interest instead of national interest. 30 Oct 09