Research assistants assigned to Members of Parliament (MP) have registered their outmost displeasure against President John Atta Mills and his ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for abandoning them after they had been publicly promised a wide range of programmes. In his state of the nation's address on February 19, 2009, President Atta Mills pledged to assign, National Service Personnel to all 230 MPs as research assistants to enable the legislators effectively carry out their legislative functions. Again, then Presidential Spokesperson, Mahama Ayariga, reiterated that the President was ready to make budgetary allocations to ensure the speedy implementation of this research initiative. However, speaking to DAILY GUIDE, the research assistants lamented that although President Mills' administration has initiated a laudable policy; it has reneged on carrying out the initial plans of the programme, which would equip the Service Personnel to live up to expectation. According to the initial plan backing the policy, the research assistants were to be taken through an orientation or training programme on relevant research methods to adequately prepare them for their new roles. They complained that because this essential stage of the programme was never realized, they have no defined' Terms of Reference concerning their work. The research assistants, DAILY GUIDE learnt, have become a subject of ridicule for some, as those who followed their MPs to the House were sometimes denied seats in the foyer and asked to hang around, standing. The predicament of the research assistants attracted the attention of the MP for Manhyia, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh. He recently made a statement on the matter on the floor of Parliament, saying lack of job description for the M Ps' assistants has led to idleness and underemployment of the skills of these fresh graduates. Dr. Prempeh pointed out that barely 10 months after the service personnel were posted, very little had been done to achieve the main purpose of this initiative and that it was most unfortunate. He praised some or the research assistants for giving out their best at work and not throwing their hands in despair; despite the apparent failure 00 the part of the initiators of this programme. Dr. Prempeh observed that the apparent failure of the authors of this initiative to provide the needed resources to enhance the work of the MP research assistants is inadmissible, reminding government that any effort to improve the work of the country's legislators deserves a resolute approach. "Knowing well the constraints of office space and other basic facilities which Members of Parliament already face, the initiative has compounded these problems by not providing financial support in terms of field allowance for communication, transportation, etc, for the work of these personnel," he noted. According to him, some MPs do not have research assistants due to these inadequacies, stressing that the lawmakers can only continue to SUppOl1 the initiative if there is a special allowance allocated to them for the work of their research assistants. "Facilities such as internet connection should be easily accessible for .any researcher. But this is really not the case," Dr. Prempeh further lamented. Dr. Prempeh recalled that Mr. Mahama Ayariga, who is currently the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, suggested that the erstwhile Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs should be used as a new office block for the research assistants and advised the leadership of the House to consult the Water Resources, Works and Housing Ministry for the release of the office space. He was disappointed that this declaration was not carried through and urged that the research assistants' preparedness to serve their nation in this capacity should rather be encouraged and given the needed support. "Life in the public service has for long not been the taste of the youth; and the situation faced by research assistants is in no way going to help address this canker," Dr. Prempeh remarked, calling for a more holistic approach in order to make the National Service Personnel more productive. Source: Daily Guide