The Greater Accra arm of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) has decided to picket the Flagstaff House on 1 March 2017.
The group’s decision follows the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum given to the government by the leadership of National Service personnel to ensure that an increment of their allowance sanctioned by the erstwhile Mahama administration in the lead-up to the 7 December 2016 elections is implemented.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), before leaving power, increased the allowance of service personnel by 60 per cent. Personnel were to receive a monthly allowance of GHS559 from the GHS350 they currently receive.
A few weeks ago, the service personnel expressed disappointment with government that their January allowance did not reflect the increase.
The personnel said they were “shocked” when they visited their banks and their accounts were credited with the usual GHS350 “at a time when the 12 per cent increment for public sector workers has taken effect amidst the rising prices of crude on the world market, the rise in inflation, cost of utility and the cost of living, which have affected every sphere of our lives as personnel and Ghanaians in general”.
Despite the anger of the personnel, their leadership urged calm and gave the government and the Scheme a seven-day ultimatum to rectify the anomaly but to no avail, thus the decision by the Greater Accra branch to picket on 1 March.
Below is a statement of the group rallying support for the picket:
Press release,
22nd February 2017
NATIONAL SERVICE PERSONNEL TO PICKET FLAGSTAFF HOUSE
The leadership of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) G/A would want to, by this release, call its members, the media, parents, students, and all well-meaning Ghanaians to join us as we picket the Flagstaff House .
You would recall that on the 7th of February, we gave the government a seven-day ultimatum which elapsed on Thursday. The scheme and government after the seven-day ultimatum have still not been conclusive on the subject matter. This has informed our decision to picket the Flagstaff House as part of the series of actions we spoke about during our press conference.
The intended date, time, and venue are as follows:
Date: 1st March 2017
Time: 10am
Convergent point: National Theatre
We look forward to seeing you there
NASPA – READY TO SERVE
SIGNED
Kojo S.A Danquah
(President)
Prince K.
(Vice President)
Ganoo Redeemer
(General Secretary)
Selesi I Adablah
(Financial Secretary)
Boakye Michael
(Organising Sec.)
Magdalene Kotey
(Wocom)