Ghana’s National Service Scheme was established to provide tertiary graduates with practical work experience, promote national development and instil patriotism.
Every year, this laudable initiative suffers many problems with some potential personnel bearing the brunt.
When such a programme becomes a source of financial hardship, administrative frustration and uncertainty, it leads to one conclusion that instead of preparing graduates for the future the scheme is subjecting them to a year of national suffering.
For thousands of graduates, national service should be a bridge between education and employment, offering opportunities to apply their knowledge, develop professional skills and begin the journey towards economic independence.
Instead, it has become a perpetual ritual of national suffering and a struggle for survival to meet basic needs.
For me and from personal observation the latter question gives rise to a rather bad conclusion that the scheme is a period of national suffering.
For thousands of young graduates, the transition from the lecture hall to the workplace should mark the beginning of economic independence.
Instead, it often ushers in a period of financial hardship, uncertainty and frustration.
The scheme is seriously beset with problems: it is fraught with persistent corruption in the posting process, postings to faraway places and institutions unrelated to programmes of study and rejection, inadequate allowances which payment overly delays, and mismatch between programmes of study and postings among others.
Are graduates being deployed to contribute meaningfully to national development, or are they simply being distributed to institutions to fulfil an administrative requirement?
One of the most troubling concerns is the posting process, which often generates frustration, favouritism and corruption.
Imagine receiving an official posting, travelling to the designated institution, only to be told that there is no vacancy or that the institution cannot accommodate you!
One must then embark on another stressful search for a placement, described as reposting.
This is where the money-making process starts for some people.
This year for instance, some personnel who went for reposting were charged, through the back door, monies ranging between GH¢500 and GH¢700.
This is a fact which requires serious attention.
These allegations of favouritism, the improper payments and irregular postings must not be swept under the carpet.
They are real and require transparent, independent investigation and appropriate sanctions where wrongdoing is established.
Serious concern
The financial circumstances of service personnel present another serious concern.
Transportation, accommodation, food and other necessities consume a substantial part, if not all, of their allowances.
For those posted far from home, the financial burden can be overwhelming.
During my Sixth Form time a mate was posted from Sefwi to the Upper West region, so just imagine!
National service is not necessarily intended to pay a professional salary.
However, that cannot justify allowances that fail to reflect basic economic realities.
Payments must be timely, and allowances should be reviewed periodically to account for inflation and the rising cost of living in the country.
Equally unacceptable is the mismatch between academic qualifications and postings.
Graduates spend years studying journalism, engineering, agriculture, information technology, law and other specialised disciplines.
Yet some are assigned duties that have little connection with their training and offer limited opportunities to develop relevant skills.
While flexibility may sometimes be necessary to meet national needs, irrelevant placements should not become the norm.
If national service is intended to provide practical experience, then professional development must be central to the placement process.
It is general knowledge that service personnel are reduced to buying Waakye and nothing more.
The Authority should match graduates with institutions according to their qualifications, the institutions’ staffing needs and the skills personnel are expected to acquire.
National service must be an investment in human capital, not merely an exercise in allocating graduates to available locations.
Geographical postings also deserve scrutiny.
Deploying personnel to underserved communities can promote equitable development and strengthen institutions outside major urban centres.
However, such deployments must be supported by realistic arrangements for accommodation and transportation.
Behind every posting number is a young person with responsibilities and aspirations.
Some support their parents and younger siblings; others must meet rent obligations, repay educational loans or save towards further studies.
Many hope that national service will give them the experience needed to secure meaningful employment.
Romanticised
Instead, some emerge from the programme with depleted savings, accumulated debts and diminished confidence in the institutions expected to support their development.
The psychological toll of financial insecurity, unsuitable postings and uncertain employment prospects should not be ignored.
Hardship should not be romanticised as a necessary rite of passage into adulthood, particularly when much of it results from poor planning, inadequate support and administrative inefficiency.
The way forward requires a transparent review of the programme’s administration, funding and impact. Institutions must confirm vacancies before placements are issued.
Posting criteria should be clear, complaints resolved promptly, and allowances paid adequately and on time.
Placements should reflect graduates’ qualifications wherever practicable, while credible mechanisms must exist to investigate allegations of corruption and hold offenders accountable.
There is nothing wrong with asking graduates to contribute to national development.
Indeed, national service can be a valuable civic and professional experience.
But patriotism must not be measured by how much hardship young people can endure.
National service must be a bridge between education and opportunity, not a compulsory passage through poverty, frustration and administrative failure.
The writer is a journalist, lawyer and the Legal Manager of Graphic Communications Group Ltd.
