National Service Week launched
The Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Dr Michael Kpessa-Whyte, has urged National Service personnel not to see the allowances they are given as motivation to render services to the nation.
National service, he said, was to inculcate patriotism, hard work and discipline in young people during their service period.
“We must move National Service beyond allowances and focus on serving the nation to our optimum best during our service period,” he stressed.
The executive director was speaking at the opening ceremony of this year’s National Service Week at the Burma Camp in Accra.
Launch of National Service Week
The theme for this year’s celebration is: “National Service: Meeting community needs”.
The week-long celebration is set aside to offer service personnel the opportunity to reflect on the completion of their service to the nation and their next line of action as they prepare to officially go into the working world.
In 2014, a total of 71,189 service personnel, made up of university and polytechnic graduates, were deployed by the NSS to serve in various sectors of the economy.
Employment opportunities
In an address, a Deputy Minister of Communications, Mr Felix Ofosu Kwakye, noted that there were a lot of opportunities to create jobs in the private sector and encouraged the personnel to explore those opportunities and create employment to reduce the burden on the government.
The Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary Education, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, also called on the personnel to make use of the training they had received during their service period.
Live disciplined lives
For his part, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Jonny Osei Kofi, called on the youth to eschew all forms of evil and live disciplined lives.
He also encouraged the outgoing service personnel to diligently serve the nation wherever they found themselves.
“As you step into the working world, distinguish yourselves and endeavour to make a difference wherever you’re called to duty,” he added.