The founding president of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, has suggested an end to mandatory National Service.
Ghanaians who study in public tertiary institutions are mandated by law to serve the country in various capacities for a year upon graduation.
But Mr Cudjoe, who was a guest on Citi FM’s ‘The Big Issue’ on Saturday, February 4, held the view that the scheme had not been productive over the years and “needs to be scrapped”.
“What is the biggest national service than paying taxes and actually getting to do something enterprising?” he asked.
The debate on National Service has been rekindled by parliament’s decision to defer the approval of Minister-designate Otiko Afisah Djaba for her failure to undertake the required one-year service to the nation after completing her undergraduate programme at the University for Development Studies.
When the issue came up for discussion in parliament for a decision to be taken by the house on Friday, February 3, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu maintained that refusal to participate in National Service disqualifies her from public service.
Mr Iddrisu said he was “referring to Act 426 section 7 of the Constitution”, adding: “It is also a national obligation. She, in her answers, was forthright and was candid with the committee that ‘I have not done National Service’. Therefore, can she work in the public service of Ghana and hold the high office of a minister of state?”
Act 426 section 7 of the Constitutions deals with matters concerning persons liable to national service and instructs against employment contrary to the provisions of the Act.
It states:
“(1) A person who has not commenced and completed his period of national service shall not:
(a) obtain employment outside the Scheme; or
(b) be employed by any other person outside the Scheme; or
(c) be engaged in any employment outside the Scheme, whether self-employed or otherwise, without the prior permission, in writing, of the Board.
(2) It shall be the duty of every employer to ascertain from every employee, upon his appointment, whether or not he is liable to national service and if he is, the employer shall notify the fact to the Board forthwith.”
However, Suhum MP Frederick Opare-Ansah pointed out that the requirement of ministers is similar to that of parliamentarians and if parliamentarians were not requested to present a National Service certificate before being cleared to contest as MPs, it would be needless to request for a National Service certificate from Ms Djaba.
The case will be recalled on Tuesday, February 7 for the house to vote on the decision to approve her nomination or otherwise.
Source: GNA
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What are you talking about here? Where are the men NPP claimed to have that without Otiko nobody(lady) in NPP can do the job? What's wrong is wrong. Ghana is at where she's because we always take things for granted.
Is this ***barred word*** still in the news? always saying anything to remain relevant when he knows very well that a lot of people will like to see him shut his big mouth.
Oh, Franklin, you too. This Otiko-NDC-National Service issue reminds of the intelligence of Jesus. He healed somebody on the Sabbath day and the Jews complained. As for Jesus' response, read it for yourself but in application, We need Otiko now to do a job for us. Ghana is sick on a Sabbath day and we cant be healed? The Law vs Common sense. Are we serious at all. Is the Law a robot? even robots are not that rigid these days. Let's grow people. Dont scrap National Service but dont kill genuine reasons of those who could not do it.
Like seriously now? South Africa was here last year to study how our National service works because they are about to start it in that country and you are here suggesting the unthinkable. Do you know how many people who were employed after national service because the authorities of those organisations saw potent in those service persons? How do one get work experience that many organisations require? You don't know what you are talking about Mr.
See what politicians are telling Ghanaians, must you be cerficated before been seen to have done national service, they buy from the street, do they as if those people have done national service. they are protected by police and military personnel who never did national service before they were recruited. Almost all personnel in the security service and doctors who do housemanship did not national but they render services to our dear nation. u r paid from taxes of market women who haven't done NS. lets rise above this pertinent issue.
FRANKLIN, I DON'T AGREE WITH YOU ON THIS, MUST ALL THE LAWS IN GHANA CEASE BECAUSE OF ONE NOMINEE, THE LAW IS CLEAR AND H E NANA ADDO IS A LAWYER BY PROFEESION AND HE HAS PROMISED US RULE OF LAW, LET US NOT CONFUSE OURSELVES ALSO WITH THAT OF THE PARLIAMENTARIANS TOO. OTIKO DJABA CAN STILL BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE AS A MINISTER AND TAKE SERVICE ALLOWANCE AS A MINISTER FOR ONE YEAR GET HIS FULL PACKAGE AFTERWARDS,REMEMBER MINISTRIAL APPOINTMENT IS ALSO A NATIONAL SERVICE, AND THIS WILL SHAPE THE HOPEFUL FUTURE
IMANI FRANKLIN CUDJOE as for this one you are off track in the nation building .You should have rather proposed that it must realigned in today's GHANA.
***barred word***, if we politicians are dodging, that doesnt make it ***barred word***!