Establishing the National Service Authority: A Path to Enhancing National Development and Capacity Building
The object of the bill is to establish the National Service Authority to mobilize and post persons qualified to undertake national service in areas of national 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 the authority as a body corporate with the requisite legal capacity to develop and implement policies and programs for national service.
The bill also mandates collaboration between relevant institutions to establish a safety net for graduates who complete their mandatory national service. Additionally, it aims to enhance employability, entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation among individuals eligible for national service.
The Minister of Education introduced the bill in Parliament on Friday, June 14, 2024, under a certificate of urgency. It was subsequently referred to the Committee on Education to assess its urgency. The committee determined that the bill was urgent and recommended that the House pass it under the certificate of urgency.
Vested Powers
Following the passage of the bill, Osei Assibey Antwi, the Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat, hailed it as the “greatest day for the NSS.” He stated, “Now, Parliament has granted us autonomy and authority, empowering us to enhance entrepreneurship.”
With this new status, the NSS can generate significant internal funds, thereby reducing the burden on the central government. We are confident that the President will assent to it, providing the final approval,” he added.
Importance of National Service to the Nation
According to a report presented by the committee’s Chairman, Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah, before the bill’s passage, national service has become a crucial activity for national development in Ghana.
The report stated that the original purpose of deploying graduates under the National Service Scheme (NSS) was to ensure that critical sectors of national life always had the necessary human capacity.
“The committee further noted that the aim of the service is to instill values of civic responsibility, discipline, patriotism, national cohesion, and volunteerism,” it added.
Additionally, the committee recognized that modern national service goes beyond mobilizing and deploying personnel; it serves as a formative phase for the future employment and development of the youth.
Challenges with the Existing Act
The committee observed that the scheme faced several challenges under the existing Act, including the lack of corporate status, land encroachment, and issues with strategic partnerships.
Due to the lack of corporate status, modern national service has introduced practices such as metal fabrication, construction, farming, borehole drilling, and catering services. These activities require the scheme to acquire land, enter into contracts, and engage in related transactions.
“However, because the scheme is not a corporate entity, it lacks the necessary capacity to do so. Therefore, it is imperative to establish the National Service as a corporate body, leading to the introduction of the National Service Authority Bill,” the statement read.
Encroachment of Land
The report noted that the committee was informed that GETFund currently seeks to sign a borehole drilling contract with the Scheme.
Furthermore, it mentioned that The Gambia wanted to sign a contract with the Scheme under the World Bank Project to deploy national service personnel with training in pedagogy to teach in The Gambia.
“The Scheme is currently working on a large tract of land supposedly acquired in its name. However, due to the Scheme’s lack of capacity, these valuable opportunities are slipping away. For instance, there is difficulty in registering the lands in the name of the Scheme, leading to encroachment on some of these properties,” the report stated.
Unfortunately, the Scheme lacks the necessary capacity to initiate legal actions against these encroachers.
“Additionally, some contractual opportunities await the Scheme up to September 2024, making it essential to consider the Bill under a certificate of urgency as these contracts are time-bound,” it stated.
Strategic Partnerships
The committee noted that under the existing Act, the Scheme is not a corporate entity, which prevents it from forming strategic partnerships with interested local and foreign partners.
“It was brought to the committee’s attention that several strategic partners are eager to collaborate with the Scheme on projects aimed at national development and building the capacity of service personnel.
The Scheme mentioned that the next deployment for national service is in September, and if the Bill is not passed before August, they may miss these opportunities,” the report concluded
