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Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who is also the flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), made a significant policy announcement regarding the National Service program in Ghana.
He pledged that if elected president, he would make National Service optional for individuals who graduate from tertiary institutions.
Under the current system, graduates are required to offer their service to the country through the National Service program. However, Dr. Bawumia’s proposal would give students the choice to decide whether or not they want to participate in national service.
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Dr. Bawumia made this announcement during a speech at the University of Professional Studies (UPSA) in Accra. He emphasized that National Service would no longer be mandatory and that students would have the freedom to make their own decision regarding their participation in the program.
The National Service program was established in 1973 and is governed by Act 426 of 1980. It mandates that all Ghanaian citizens aged 18 and above, at the time of deployment, must complete one year of service. Those who have already completed a non-graduate one-year service are then required to undertake an additional year of post-tertiary national service.
Currently, National Service Personnel are entitled to receive monthly allowances determined by the Ministry of Finance. In July 2023, the National Service Scheme (NSS) successfully secured government approval to increase the monthly allowances for National Service Personnel from GHS559.04 to GHS715.57, effective from January 2023. This adjustment was the result of consultations between the NSS, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and the Ministry of Finance.
Despite the positive news regarding the allowance increase, some NSS personnel have criticized the government for delays in payment. They have voiced their concerns over the timeliness of receiving their allowances.