Deputy Minister of Education, in charge of Tertiary Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has appealed to staff of National Service Secretariat (NSS) to put integrity and credibility first in all they do.

This, he said, would insulate them against accepting bribes from national service personnel who want to be posted to institutions and areas of their choice and also put a stop to other vices emanating from the Secretariat.

Mr Ablakwa made the appeal during a working visit to the Secretariat as part of his familiarisation tour of two institutions under the Ministry of Education over the weekend.

He called for the elimination of cabals which had invaded the Secretariat and thereby dragging the name of the body in the mud with their dubious activities.

The Executive Director of the NSS, Alhaji Imoro Alhassan, pledged the readiness of the NSS to contribute its quota towards national development.

In an open forum, the staff called for their placement on the Single Spine Salary Scheme and an increment of the national service allowance for personnel.

At the Ghana Library Authority (GhLA), Mr Ablakwa expressed concern about the falling reading habit among the youth and the speaking of bad English. “It these concerns are to be adequately addressed, then we need to adequately re-enforce the critical role that libraries play,” he said.

He pledged the readiness of the government to eliminate all schools under tree by 2016 and appealed to GhLA to liaise with private entities which could support them with logistics.

Adjei Appenteng, the Acting Executive Director, GhLA, expressed appreciation to organisations, which had supported the GhLA since its inception in 1949 and cited funding as the major challenge facing the body.

Most of the departments at the GhLA were also inundated with very old machines and inadequate computers.