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| A logo of the NSS |
It was something that one
of the world’s renowned scientists tried looking at. Yes, so I think. But he
greatly failed finding answers. It’s elusive. In his own words, Isaac Newton
opined that, “I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies but not the madness
of people.”
Indeed, at the La
Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) Annex, opposite the El-Wak Sports
Stadium in the Greater Accra region, was an exhibition of madness by some
security personnel― that which Isaac Newton certainly could never have
calculated!
Reports had it that on
Monday, July 24, 2017, some graduates had queued up for registration into the
National Service Scheme’s (NSS) 2017/18 year of placement. Then, when there
seemed to be some disorderliness among these prospective national service persons,
some police and military officers were brought in to restore calm.
The “Calm Restoration Brigade”,
unfortunately, ended up flexing muscles at these prospective national service personnel
who were only poised to serve their nation.
On both radio and
television, in newspapers and on social media, these security personnel and the
NSS have been sternly criticized for their nauseatingly unprofessional conduct.
Subsequently, the NSS has released a statement apologizing to those who
suffered in the hands of the security personnel.
“Management wishes to
state that the incidents are regrettable, therefore, wishes to apologize to all
such national service personnel and the general public for the recorded
incidents of congestion which led to the manhandling,” read portions of the
NSS’ statement.
It added that, “Management
has put in place measures to ease the congestion, therefore, wishes to appeal
to all national service personnel to remain calm and go through the registration
process smoothly.”
Here we are again as a
country talking about one particular problem that has been trumpeted an umpteen
times. The problem is that the NSS is literally dead in terms of development.
The hard truth is that it has been left behind by the world in terms of technology.
During my national
service days, 2013/14, one had to go to wherever s/he was posted just to
register in order to be considered for placement. This seeming cast-in-stone
procedure has had many endure it the hard way. Some are even feared to have
lost their lives to road accidents while on their way to register.
So, why does the
National Service Scheme still tell prospective personnel to go queue up at its
offices for registration? Is there no way an online platform could be built
where, at the comfort of one’s home, s/he by a click of a button registers than
bustle and hustle in queues?
I am frankly shocked but
not too surprised. In my country, Ghana, we major on minor issues and minor in
the major. This is a country where things are done, mostly, upside down.
In my own former
school, the Ghana Institute of Journalism among many others, applying for admissions
online means you go to the school’s website, download the form, print and
submit it on the campus. The Passport Office’s so called online registration
for passports is as well in this boat of shame.
One is, therefore, not
surprised that the National Service Scheme says it does not consider building a
platform for its prospective service personnel to register online. There must
be a scare crow on the internet appearing to devour the NSS.
With all due respect,
at times, I am tempted to ask “if everything is okay” with some of our institutions
considering decisions they take.
In 2015, I wrote a
commentary for a segment on Radio Ghana’s news called News Commentary. In that piece, I criticized the West African
Examination Council (WAEC) for its decision to destroy certificates in its
custody dating over 10 years.
My argument was simple.
Though WAEC’s reason for decongesting their storage capacities was somewhat
laudable, the situation was likely to repeat itself in the next decade.
I, thus, suggested that
the examination body stopped printing certificates and should only do so on
demand by whoever wanted it. I recommended they get an online platform for such
on-demand requests.
Moreover, I saw the
policy that compels one to go for his/her certificates in the region in which
they wrote their examinations as sickening. Why can’t a person show up at any
WAEC office, nationwide, and claim their requested certificates by showing
their ID cards?
What happened at the LaDMA
Annex on that fateful Monday is something very shameful and must not be
repeated. The NSS must by now realize that the uproar by Ghanaians, home and
abroad, over its crass incompetence sends a strong warning that a handshake
that goes beyond the elbow ceases to be a friendly gesture.
Sit up NSS… for the
sleep that last from one market day to the other becomes death. Enough of your
dry jokes!
The writer is a broadcast
journalist with 3FM (92.7). Views expressed here solely remain his and do not,
in anyway, reflect his organisation’s editorial policy.
Email: nehusthan4@yahoo.com
Twitter:
@Aniwaba
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