Ranking Member of Parliament’s Education Committee, Dr Clement Apaak, has voiced his concern over Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s proposal to make the mandated National Service Scheme (NSS) optional.
During an interview on Accra-based Citi TV, Dr Apaak expressed worry that the Vice President’s decision to make NSS optional may lead to a lack of patriotism among Ghanaian students after completing their tertiary education.
Dr. Bawumia had stated that it will no longer be mandatory for graduates to undertake NSS if he is elected president, a move that Dr Apaak believes could lead to the lack of national pride among the youth.
He further added that enacting such a law would create a convenient exemption option for the children of the political elite. Dr. Apaak highlighted that making NSS optional could lead to bribery and corruption because the program is crucial for individuals seeking to work in the public sector.
In his words, “Time without number, you may have heard persons who have been nominated for ministerial positions being asked by the Appointments Committee where they did their national service and whether they have certificates. And so by saying that we are going to make it optional, you are totally destroying what we know and replacing it with a system that will only exempt the sons and daughters of the political elite.”
Dr Apaak’s concerns shed light on the potential repercussions of making NSS optional and the impact it could have on national pride and youth employment ethics in Ghana.
