Making NSS optional will only benefit children of political elite – Dr Apaak
The Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr Clement Apaak, says Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s proposal to make national service voluntary will only benefit a select few.
According to Dr Bawumia, graduates will have the freedom to choose whether to undertake national service or not.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, to help our youth get jobs, I believe it is time to rethink the concept of our current national service scheme. My government will propose that those who, after completing their education, can secure jobs would be exempted from national service.
“National service will no longer be mandatory, and students will have the option to decide whether to do national service. This will also encourage companies to go to campuses for recruitment annually,” he said.
Dr Apaak argues that this move will only benefit the children of the political elite.
He added that such a policy would not encourage patriotism among Ghanaian students after they complete their tertiary education.
“What it will essentially do is introduce optional service in place of National Service, and once it becomes optional, it also creates the avenue for bribery and corruption. We all know the value of doing National Service, and we know that the National Service certificate plays a very important role, especially for those of us who want to go into public service.
“By saying that we are going to make it optional, you are destroying what we know and replacing it with a system that will only exempt the sons and daughters of the political elite,” he said.