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2,000 Service Personnel Posted Under the Urban Sanitation Module For National Data Collection

The National Service Scheme (NSS), has for the 2016/17 service year, posted some 2, 000 service personnel, for phase II of the Urban Sanitation Module (USM), the Scheme has said.

Per the programme, personnel who are fresh graduates from the various tertiary institutions are to begin the collection of data from metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, across the country, for good sanitation service delivery and other national usages.

The programme, started last year, after successfully piloting it viability, is a partnership between the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, National Waste Bin Distribution (NaWaBin) Programme, Melchia Investment Ghana Limited (MIGL) and the NSS.

This year’s programme, launched in Accra, follows the successful implementation of the first phase last year, which has led to some 15 of the personnel, benefitting from a scholarship package to further their education abroad, sponsored by IT firm, SUBAH Infosolution Ghana Limited.

The 15, according to SUBAH Infosution, greatly acquitted themselves in the first National Service Urban Sanitation Module (NSUSM) and so were awarded full scholarship to pursue courses in integrated GIS system and geomatic engineering in the Netherlands and India after which they will have guaranteed jobs with the IT firm.

During the nine months period, personnel will be provided with the necessary logistics including tablets, power banks, mifi devices and will be expected to move from household to household and collect data to help various state institutions discharge their duties creditably sand make informed decisions.

The national president of the Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), Isaac Ashai Odamten, said the Data Collection Exercise, feeds into the Melchia Spatial Data Infrastructure which seeks to facilitate delivery of public and local government service, focusing on sanitation and revenue mobilization across Ghana.

He said the programme is an opportunity for the personnel “To contribute to making Ghana the desired destination both locally and globally, boasting of our advancement in spatial planning and development.

Do not miss your opportunity because you spent time whining and complaining about certain challenges you encountered on the field but rather, I dare you to embrace all the limitations and challenge as an opportunity to display your ability to identify and solve problems and also build your portfolio”.

Mr. Odamtten urged them to take inspiration from their predecessors and work hard to improve the brand and the country to attain a common good. He urged to pay critical attention to details and be focused on the task ahead.

The NALAG president, who doubles as the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, urged households to support the personnel in the exercise by given out the right information so that they can come out with credible dada.

The Group Head, Finance of SUBAH Infosolution, Adokarley Okpoti-Paulo, her outfit’s decision to join hands with the programme, is help resolve the huge sanitation challenges facing the country. She said all projects logistics that will be required will be provided by SUBAH for the smooth running of the exercise.

Mrs. Okpoti-Paulo reminded the personnel to be disciplined, meticulous and exhibit great sense, while collecting and analyzing the data because it is the primary data and if any inaccurate information or data is included, it will affect the final outcome of the project.

“This database will help provide waste management companies with the necessary data needed to distribute bins to all households that are still without bins.

It will also strength Local Government planning through the mobilization of data for efficient local development as well as the reduction of revenue leakages within the waste management sub-sector”, she explained.

The Executive Director of the NSS, who was represented by Philemon Beyuo, urged the personnel to commit to the project and come out with the best.

He said the previous challenges that gave room for some personnel to feed the programme with inaccurate data because they wanted to meet their target, has been corrected.