(M) The Director General of NSA, Osei Assibey Antwi, with NASPA President Elect, Andy Amuaku (L) and Past NASPA President, Gideon Osei
The National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) has held a handing over and awards dinner ceremony at the Vice-Chancellors Office Complex in Accra, marking a significant moment in leadership transition and service to the nation.
The event celebrated the accomplishments of the outgoing administration, led by Gideon Osei, while welcoming new leadership under the stewardship of Andy Amuaku.
Speaking during the event, the outgoing NASPA President, Gideon Osei, shared highlights of his administration’s tenure, which began in 2023. He outlined key achievements, particularly the successful advocacy for an increase in the monthly allowances of service personnel from GH¢559 to GH¢715.
“I acknowledged the financial hardships personnel had previously endured. The allowance increase was a lifeline that significantly alleviated the struggles of NSP,” he recounted.
Ghanapay
Gideon Osei further recalled how his team tackled the challenges associated with the Ezwich payment system, which had been a source of frustration for many personnel in remote areas.
“My administration moved Ezwich to the GhanaPay system, allowing seamless mobile money transactions. The move, I can indicate, has ensured that service personnel, even in rural parts of the country, could easily receive their payments without delays or technical difficulties,” he noted.
He touched on the consistent and timely payment of allowances, a matter he urged the incoming executives to prioritise, saying “ensuring prompt payments was crucial to the welfare and morale of service personnel across the country.”
Projects
Gideon Osei added that his administration also left a lasting legacy of impactful projects, including the NASPA AGRITECH programme, which provided personnel with modern agricultural skills and opportunities to pitch their business ideas. “The initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, helped bridge the gap between theory and practice, empowering service personnel to venture into agriculture. My administration also acquired 70 acres of land for agricultural projects and constructed boreholes to provide potable water to both service personnel and underserved communities,” he indicated.
He equally cited accomplishments like an e-learning platform in partnership with TechLab, offering free courses in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and data analytics. “The initiative, I must say, was aimed at equipping service personnel with critical digital skills to thrive in a rapidly evolving job market for hands-on experience,” he stressed.
Commitment
The NASPA president-elect, Andy Amuaku, expressed his commitment to building upon the achievements of the outgoing administration. “I promise to introduce fresh initiatives aimed at enhancing the well-being of service personnel while maintaining the strong foundation laid by his predecessor. I assure you all that my administration would work tirelessly to move NASPA forward,” he stated.
The Director General of the National Service Authority (NSA), Osei Assibey Antwi, lauded the outgoing executives for their remarkable contributions, particularly their diplomacy and successful advocacy in securing the allowance increase.
“Your role in the successful organisation of the NSS@50 celebrations is worth commending. I urge the incoming leadership to embrace digitalisation and further develop their diplomatic and governance skills to steer NASPA into greater heights. Together we can build a NASPA devoid of acrimony and rancour,” he advised.
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