The National Service Scheme (NSS) has defended its decision to assign personnel to foreign countries as part of its new decade-long policy.
In an interview, the NSS secretariat announced plans to deploy personnel to various countries, including Nigeria, the UK, and the US.
Prospective national service personnel have opposed this move, arguing that the global deployment outlined in the NSS policy is misguided and could be exploited by politicians.
The Director of Corporate Affairs at the NSS, Ambrose Esaah, explained that the scheme explores partnerships with countries including India, the US, the Gambia, and the UK.
He supported the idea of exchange programmes for personnel.
“I don’t think there is anything wrong with it. All the universities have official exchange programmes with universities outside Ghana. So sometimes during their sabbatical leave, they go there officially to understudy some special innovations and projects and then they come back…So why can’t national service also have a similar one?” he queried.
Meanwhile, the Education Committee in Parliament has revealed a plan to deploy national service personnel to the Gambia.
This initiative collaborates with the Gambian government and the national service authority.
The recent passage of the National Service Authority Bill 2024 has led to this development.
The bill’s objective is to establish the National Service Authority to mobilise and post persons qualified to undertake national service in areas of priority for national development.
If assented to by the President, the bill will also inculcate the values of civic responsibility, discipline, patriotism, national cohesion, and voluntarism in persons qualified to undertake national service.
The bill seeks to establish an authority as a corporate body with the requisite legal capacity to develop and implement policies and programmes for national service.
The bill also provides for collaboration between relevant institutions to create a safety net for graduates who complete their mandatory national service.
It will also promote employability, entrepreneurship, technology and innovation among persons qualified to undertake national service.