NSS Boss Mustapha Ussif
Some disgruntled National Service personnel have sued the National Service Scheme and its Executive Director, Mustapha Ussif, over the GH¢ 15 compulsory insurance charges.
The personnel say the deduction from their allowance is unlawful and unreasonable.
They are therefore asking the court to compel the National Service Scheme to cease the deductions which took effect from November, 2017.
A lawyer for the aggrieved National Service Personnel, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, told Citi News “They [personnel] have not authorized anybody to enter into an insurance contract on their behalf. An insurance contract must have a policyholder who should enter into a contract with the insurance company [but this did not happen].”
“Where is the insurance policy? Where is the contract?” he questioned.
Some National Service personnel have been up in arms over the compulsory insurance policy, which they say has been imposed on them by the National Service Scheme headed by Ussif Mustapha.
The personnel argued that, the decision to have the insurance program, was not made by them, neither were they consulted before its implementation, hence deductions must not be made from their meager allowances compulsorily.
NSS personnel petition CHRAJ over compulsory insurance
Some National Service Personnel earlier this week petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), over the mandatory insurance package introduced for them by the National Service Secretariat.
According to them, the imposition of the insurance package infringes on their basic human rights since the decisions taken by the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), does not bind all service personnel.
Service personnel agreed to ‘compulsory’ insurance – NSS Boss
The National Service Scheme’s head, Mustapha Ussif, has denied suggestions that the compulsory insurance package meant for all service personnel in the country is being imposed on the personnel.
He insisted that the personnel backed the insurance package, and even pushed the management of the Scheme to implement it. He said the National Service Personnel Association of Ghana (NASPA), the group which represents service personnel across the country, decided unanimously at their Congress to back the policy.
The insurance package
The NSS partnered with MTN and Glico Life Insurance, earlier this week, to launch the life insurance cover for the over 90,000 personnel.
This compulsory insurance package spearheaded by various insurance companies is expected to pay claims to service personnel who get involved in accidents in their line of duty.
The claims vary from GHc 15,000 in cases of death or incapacitation and GHS3,000 for cases of disability. As part of the insurance package, National Service personnel are entitled to a GHc 500 loan which is payable within six months.
NSS insurance meant to reward NPP financier – Kpessah Whyte
A former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Dr. Michael Kpessah-Whyte, had alleged that the compulsory insurance package is a venture to pay back a financier of the governing New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) election campaign.
According to him, the insurance scheme may have been put together to reward the owner of a known insurance company, who supported the NPP’s campaign with GH¢1 million.
He is thus of the view that the policy is not in the interest of National Service persons, and that it constitutes “daylight robbery.”
NSS insurance scheme not a reward from NPP – GLICO
However, GLICO Life has denied allegations that its engagement with the NSS to provide an insurance package for National Service personnel, is a reward for the company because the owner was a financier of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The Managing Director of GLICO Life, Forkuo Kyei, in a statement to citifmonline.com said the allegations are unfounded as GLICO Life is part of five other companies offering the insurance package to the service personnel.
Credit: Jonas Nyabor«citifmonline
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