The National Service Authority (NSA) has appealed to prospective national service personnel to accept postings to any part of the country.
According to the NSA, rejecting postings to certain communities can make citizens in those areas feel deprived and limit the potential of children in those communities.
Ms. Leona Adjei, the NSA Manager for the Mfantseman Municipal, made this appeal at the grand finale and awards ceremony of the Mfantseman Municipal Lower Primary Spelling Bee Competition 2025, held in Saltpond, the municipal capital.
She said that postings to rural areas have never been a form of punishment for personnel, explaining, “As a matter of fact, the Authority has no intention of punishing anybody. It is worrying that almost all our personnel want to be posted to cities and roadside communities. As a result, the cities are overcrowded, while our rural areas are in dire need of our services.”
Ms Adjei’s call was particularly inspired by the impressive performance of the contestants, especially pupils from Abeadze Akropong M/A Basic School, a suburb of Abeadze Dominase, in the competition.
Highlighting their achievement, she noted that although the school did not place first in the competition, it is located in a hinterland, demonstrating the potential for excellence in rural areas when personnel accept postings to these communities.
“The fact that this school has represented the Dominase circuit in this competition is a testament to what can be achieved when personnel commit to serving in rural areas,” Ms Adjei observed.
She attributed the school’s success, in part, to the contributions of a national service personnel member she had posted to the school, emphasizing the positive impact personnel can have when they embrace postings to rural areas.
After the thrilling competition, the contestants, mainly the primary three pupils, showcased their skills in English and Fante spelling, as well as a charade. The results were as follows:
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Mankessim Circuit “B” took the top spot with 75 points.
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Anomabo Circuit “B”, Saltpond Circuit “B”, and Mankessim Circuit “A” secured the first, second, and third runner-up positions with 69, 67, and 66 points, respectively.
The remaining positions were filled by:
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Anomabo Circuit “A” in fifth place
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Yamoransa Circuit in sixth place
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Saltpond Circuit “A” in seventh place
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Dominase Circuit in eighth place
In his address, Mr. Jeremiah Kojo Gyesi, Central Regional Procurement Manager of the Ghana Library Authority (GLA), who deputized for the Regional Manager, Mr. Appiah Kubi, encouraged the pupils to develop a reading habit, leveraging their school libraries to compensate for the inadequacy of textbooks in their schools.
He cited research conducted by the Authority, which revealed that students in districts with libraries tend to perform better academically than those without.
He also announced plans to help the Mfantseman Municipal secure a public library.
“Unfortunately, we at the Ghana Library Authority do not construct library buildings; instead, we equip them with books and staff. So, we have been consulting with stakeholders to secure a library for the municipality so that we can stock it,” he assured.
Madam Edwina Gladys Thompson Donkoh, Deputy Director of Education in charge of supervision at the Mfantseman Municipal Education Directorate, in an interview with newsalertgh.com, commended the contestants for their outstanding performance.
She praised their teachers for their hard work and dedication.
“It’s amazing to see lower primary pupils spell such words correctly, especially the Fante words. Honestly, some of us, the officers, struggle to spell certain Fante words, so the kids’ performance is truly impressive and gives us hope,” Ms Thompson Donkoh said.
She expressed gratitude to the sponsors and appealed to others to support the event annually.
The program was sponsored by the Ernest Egyir Foundation, Adwowa Gyaaba Foundation (AGF), and Boys and Girls Club of Ghana, Anomabo, with support from the Ghana Library Authority, Cape Coast.
All participating circuits received certificates of merit, exercise books, and reading materials. The top four positions were awarded additional prizes, including cash awards ranging from GH¢500.00 to GH¢300.00 and medals, with the 1st-place winner also receiving a trophy.
By: Kojo Ata Kakrah Abrowah (KAKA)/newsalertgh.com
