Some students at the university of Ghana have expressed their opinions on the Vice President’s proposal to scrap the National Service Scheme (NSS).
The Vice President, who is also the current flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia promised to make the one-year National Service no longer mandatory if voted into power as the national president. He made these remarks on Wednesday, during his public lecture at the University of Professional Studies in Accra.
In response to the promise, the students spoke to Univers News, where there were varying takes on the matter.
According to them, the NSS is better off scrapped considering the bad conditions of service. On the flipside, some students emphasized its importance as a learning experience for graduates ahead of joining the workforce.
“I think it is good if it’s not compulsory and you have something else you can just go and do rather than serving the nation and all of that…but NSS will train you on how to work in the work field so that when you are fully prepared, you just move and get a job.”
“I think the initiative of the NSS is good in some way; yes, it helps others because one can learn as they take up their NSS. The service will give you a bit knowledge about how to go about work. The problem is that you don’t get adequately paid so graduates feel like they are wasting their time, hence they don’t put much effort like they are not motivated to do.”
Meanwhile, prominent youth activist, Abdul Salam Mohamed, has lauded the vice president’s recent proposal to reassess the National Service Scheme.
He asserted that the program has strayed from its intended objectives, further emphasizing that the scheme’s targeted beneficiaries are no longer reaping its benefits, while also shedding light on the deteriorating conditions within the service.
