We’ll prosecute graduates who fail to undertake national service - NSS

Organisations that engage graduates who have not completed their one-year mandatory national service will be prosecuted and blacklisted from receiving national service personnel.

The National Service Scheme (NSS) has, consequently, opened a window of opportunity for all those who have not undertaken their service to do.

A statement signed by the Executive Director, Mr Osei Assibey Antwi, and issued by the NSS in Accra said those who also missed the opportunity to do their service in the past could enrol for the 2022/2023 service from today to Thursday, June 30, 2022.

Eligibility

It mentioned those eligible as previous applicants who started but were not able to complete the service, private applicants who were qualified and wished to apply and graduates who studied abroad.

The statement directed such people to submit their application letters at any of the regional offices of the scheme or the headquarters in Accra.

“All applications must include letters requesting PIN codes or reactivation of PIN codes, certified true copies of school certificates or transcripts, evidence of deferment letters (if applicable), attestations or introductory letters from the institutions attended, copies of the

Ghana Cards and copies of students’ ID cards for checks and proof of study abroad for foreign students,” it said.

‘Make Accra Work’ initiative

In another development, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey, last Friday paid a working visit to the headquarters of the NSS to acquaint himself with operations there.

He announced that a ‘Make Greater Accra Work’ Secretariat was to be set up at the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to be a fulcrum for ensuring discipline in the region, particularly the capital city.

In line with that, her said, the RCC was considering signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the NSS for the posting of persons to the secretariat when established.

A call centre would also be set up at the secretariat, as well as metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in the region, he said.

He said activities to be undertaken at the centre would include receiving calls, queries and real time pictures from ordinary citizens on poor sanitation practices and alerting the appropriate officials for action.

Mr Quartey commended Mr Antwi and his team for the visionary and dynamic leadership injected into the scheme and said its “mobilisation for deployment” to “deployment for employment” and skill provision were in tandem with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s objective of providing the youth with skills that would turn them into global industrial leaders.

Pledge

For his part, Mr Antwi pledged his support to the regional minister’s initiative, saying his outfit was ready to engage in the areas of monitoring, education and compliance, adding that a framework was being worked out on how to factor in the right numbers for the initiative.

He said the scheme was steering away from its traditional mandate of mobilising graduates for deployment and moving towards deployment for employment.