Thousands rush to register for 2016/2017 National Service
The registration for the 2016/17 National Service year began across the country yesterday on a rather bustling note as thousands of prospective service personnel thronged the Greater Accra Regional office of the service to process their documents.
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The exercise, which is expected to continue until the end of August, will see more than 70,000 service personnel, drawn from 137 private and public institutions, register to be engaged by user agencies across the country.
By the arrangement of the National Service Scheme (NSS), the prospective service persons are required to send their appointment letters to the regional directorates of the scheme to be endorsed by the regional director before they proceed to the districts where they have been posted to complete the registration process.
Overwhelming numbers
At the time the Daily Graphic got to the Greater Accra Regional office of NSS around mid-day, a great crowd of prospective NSS personnel had gathered to process their documents.
Long queues had been formed by some of the personnel while those who could not find space within the premises stood along the shoulders of the roads leading to the centre in despair.
The acting Executive Director of the scheme, Dr Michael Kpessa-Whyte, who visited the centre to monitor the process, said the number of prospective personnel who turned up on the first day was overwhelming as compared to that of previous years.
“We are very surprised at the numbers that have massed up at the Greater Accra office here. The reason is that we spaced up the service registration to ensure that everyone will register in a relaxed manner.
Dr Michael Kpessa-Whyte, Executive Director, National Service Scheme, exlaining a point to the press.
But, surprisingly, everybody feels the need to register on the first day. This accounts for the very large numbers you can see here, and with that number, you can expect some challenges,” he added.
Innovative strategies
He said the NSS management would consider the possibility of introducing online registration, among other innovative strategies, to ensure that the hustle that came with registration was minimised.
“We are learning to the extent that we will have to review the strategies and ensure that next year we do something different so that service personnel can feel comfortable to register,” he said.
He urged the NSS personnel to exercise restraint, since the registration exercise would continue until the end of August.
Some prospective service personnel undergoing registration procedures. Pictures: NII MARTEY M. BOTCHWAY
Ordeal of some registrants
Some of the prospective service persons who spoke to the Daily Graphic could not hide their frustration and anxiety as they recounted their experience.
One of them, Miss Adwoa Koranteng, said she got to the centre as early as 5:30a.m. but had still not had her turn to register as of midday.
“Even though I think the NSS management ought to have anticipated this situation and made provision to handle it, our own indiscipline has also contributed to the slow process,” she said.