Gov't secures $88 million dollars for NSS

The government has secured 88 million dollars from an Israeli company to revamp the activities of the National Service Scheme (NSS).

The Executive Director of the NSS, Mr. Vincent Senam Kuagbenu made this known at a three-day performance review seminar for its core management staff in Takoradi on Tuesday.

He said the Scheme had rolled out various agriculture modules such as piggery, rabbitry, poultry, and maze cultivation among others, and entreated the various regional and district directors of the Scheme to discharge their duties diligently.

Mr. Kuagbenu indicated that the government had provided 11 brand new buses for the various regional offices of the Scheme to convey service personnel to and from project sites and added that such financial investment required greater responsibility and accountability from the staff of the Scheme.

He said the Scheme was also in the process of securing 10 new cross-country vehicles this year towards the effective implementation of the various modules.

The Executive Director of the Scheme disclosed that over 80,000 service personnel had been deployed to the various public and private institutions across the country to begin their mandatory service.

He said for the first time in the history of the Scheme, health professionals had also been deployed including registered nurses, paramedics ,pharmacists, radiologists ,dispensers and medical assistants, adding that a one-month military training programme would be given to medical doctors before they were deployed.

The Paramount Chief of Western Nzema Traditonal Area, Awulae Annor Adjaye III, entreated the Scheme to rid itself of nepotism, favouratism and corruption during postings to make the Scheme more attractive.

He admonished graduates who had their tertiary education both inside and outside the country to undertake their mandatory national service to accelerate national development.

The acting Western Regional Minster, Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, said the Regional Coordinating Council would continue to collaborate with the Scheme to ensure the development of the region.