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Graduates who
refuse National Service to face the Law –Executive Director
Bolgatanga, August 25,
Ghanadot/GNA - The Executive Director of the National
Service Scheme, Mr. Vincent Senam Kuagbenu has warned that
as from next year, any eligible graduate who refuses to
serve the nation under the scheme would be prosecuted.
He added that employers who employed graduates who had
skipped national service would also be made to face the law,
cautioning them to demand the National Service Certificate
as one of the conditions of employment.
The Executive Director issued the warning on Tuesday in
Bolgatanga where the Scheme is organizing an in-service
training for Volunteer National Service Personnel who to
teach in the most deprived areas of the region.
Mr. Kuagbenu stated that it was criminal under the
constitution of Ghana for any graduate to refuse offer him
or herself for National Service after graduating, saying it
was mandatory, as stipulated in the Constitution that such
offence could attract an imprisonment of not less than five
years.
Mr. Kuagbenu expressed worry about the refusal of many
graduates offer themselves for National Service especially
when posted to rural areas and said as from next year the
Scheme would offer be tough on such persons.
He explained that had all eligible graduates served the
nation when they supposed to do so, there would not have
been the need to recruit Voluntary National Service
Personnel.
He appealed to the Volunteer National Service Personnel
corps which is made of retired but active teachers and
Post-National Service Personnel to live up to the task by
working hard in the various schools they would be posted to
and be agents of change in the communities. .
He noted that the Voluntary National Service Programme
started in 2003 with 53 retired active teachers and Post
National Service Personnel who worked efficiently,
augmenting teaching and learning in schools in deprived
areas.
Mr. Kuagbenu assured the personnel that their allowances
would be increased and paid on time to help them discharge
their duties effectively and advised them not to remain in
the Voluntary Service but to aspire to higher positions in
other fields.
The District Coordinating Director of National Service in
charge of the Talensi-Naddam in the Upper East Region, Mr.
Michael Zuri, said the Voluntary National Service Scheme had
contributed immensely to teaching and learning in the
District and said there had been an improvement in the
results of basic, Junior and Senior High Schools.
He indicated that in the remote areas where some teachers
refused to teach, Volunteers readily accepted posting to
such places to work.
He indicated that the major problem confronting the
Volunteer teachers was lack of accommodation and appealed to
the District Assemblies and traditional authorities to
assist the volunteers in that direction.
GNA
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