The Vice President and flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has hinted that under his presidency, national service will be made optional for graduates.
“Ladies and gentlemen, to help our youth get jobs, I believe it is time to rethink the concept of our current national service scheme. My government will propose that those who, after completion of their education, can secure jobs would be exempted from national service. National service will no longer be mandatory, and students will have the option to decide whether to do national service. This will also encourage companies to go to campuses for recruitment annually,” Dr. Bawumia said.
He said this during a speech at the UPSA auditorium in Accra on Wednesday night, proposing a significant shift in Ghana’s national service scheme.
Dr. Bawumia emphasised the need to prioritise job creation for Ghanaian youth. He thinks that the fact that national service is currently mandatory might get in the way of that goal.
If he is chosen president, he plans to put his proposed policy into action. Under it, graduates who get jobs after finishing school would not have to do national service. Because of this provision, they would be able to start working right away.
In a broader sense, Bawumia wants all graduates to be able to choose not to do national service. This would give students the freedom to decide if they want to participate, which could lead to more immediate job possibilities.
Dr. Bawumia thinks that this change will make companies more likely to hire on college campuses, where they can easily access a large pool of qualified people.
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