Non-graduates To Be Phased Out Of National Service Scheme?

Koforidua, (Eastern Region). 23, Sept. The government has decided to phase out non-graduates of tertiary institutions from the national service scheme (NSS) as from this month. The Director of the scheme, Mr Peter Kpordugbe, announced this at the opening of the 12th terminal congress of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) in Koforidua yesterday. The theme of the congress is ''the role of national service personnel in the drive towards education for all by the year 2005''. He said the decision was taken because of financial constraints and that the scheme cannot cater for the more than 60,000 senior secondary school products who are to join the scheme. The last batch of sixth formers completed their service this month. Mr Kpordugbe said it had been the policy of the scheme to post 70 per cent of service personnel to the education sector who served mainly in rural areas. He said since service personnel, most of them non-graduates, are contributing significantly towards the attainment of the free compulsory universal basic education (FCUBE), funding should be sought outside government resources for the scheme to continue taking on non- graduates. Mr Kpordugbe appealed to the government to set up an endowment fund of 2.5 billion cedis over a five-year period to meet the allowances of non-graduates. The Chairman of the board of directors of the scheme, Mr Sam Wood, suggested the involvement of district assemblies, traditional councils and town development committees in meeting the allowances of the non-graduate service personnel since they will benefit from their services most. He also suggested that the association should enter into an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service to conduct tax education and collect taxes for the service for a fee to finance non-graduates in the scheme. The out-going President of NASPA, Mr Mubashir T. Dari, regretted that due to financial reasons the government is being compelled to ''violate the national service act'' which envisaged the calling up of all persons above18 years to do national service. He cautioned that "any attempt to limit the number of service personnel does not benefit this nation", and appealed to the government to reconsider its decision. Mrs Susan Rosemary Kennedy, deputy Eastern Regional Director of Education who chaired the function, urged national service persons to be disciplined and hard-working. She appealed to district assemblies to help find solutions to problems facing servicemen.