84,000 National service persons to be deployed for 2013/2014 service year
The Ghana National Service Scheme (GNSS) has so far registered 84,000 prospective national service persons from the country’s tertiary institutions to be deployed for the 2013/2014 national service year which begins from 1st September, 2013. The figure is an increase from 73,000 service persons who were deployed for the 2012/2013 service year. The Acting Executive Director of the GNSS, Alhaji Alhassan Imoro disclosed this in Takoradi at the national launch of this year’s national service week celebration under the theme “Ghanaian Youth and Patriotism – The Role of Service Personnel”. The event brought together over 1,500 national service persons from the Western and Central regions and Regional and District Directors of the GNSS from other parts of the country.
The weeklong celebration is an annual event organised by the GNSS to offer service persons the opportunity to reach out to the society and to celebrate the completion of their service. However, last year the even could not be carried through because it coincided with the unfortunate demise of the then sitting President of the Republic, His Excellency, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills.
Alhaji Alhassan Imoro expressed concern about the seemingly rapid decline of virtue and patriotism among the youth of today. He urged the youth to exhibit tenets of selflessness, sacrifices, and do more than the ordinary for the country; because “these are the principles which many great nations of today upheld and which have contributed immensely to their enviable rapid development”, he added.
The Acting Executive Director noted that patriotism and service have been the bedrock of growth and development of our communities since time immemorial.
“Whether it is in the front of providing food through the ‘Nnoboa’ system or the security of the communities through ‘Asafo’ groups or building infrastructure through communal labour, our people showed the courage and determination to foster brotherly love and goodwill towards one another”. This, he said, ensured the peace, stability and harmonious development of our communities.
Alhaji Imoro appeal to Ghanaians to embrace peace, especially in the face of the impending Supreme Court’s verdict on the 2012 election petition and stressed that “if we let this peaceful environment we are enjoying now slip into anything negative, then obviously we cannot put the lives of our young graduates at risk and deploy them across the country for any form of national service.”
The Chairman of the National Service Board, Mr. W. Nkunu Akyea advised the service persons to eschew any forms of negative attitudes as they exit the Scheme into the world of work. He said this transition period is very important for service persons as it presents an opportunity for them to make their choices in their roles towards national development.
The Omanhene of Esikado Traditional area, Nana Kobina Nketsia V who chaired the function called on the youth to always put Ghana first in whatever they do. He traced the history of the struggles of our forefathers towards the country’s independence and asked the youth to demonstrate their inherent sense of patriotism as Ghanaians.
He said the country’s development could be accelerated if the youth showed a little more commitment to their patriotic roles and responsibilities. He therefore called on stakeholders to assist national service persons wherever they may be posted, to afford them the opportunity to better serve their motherland.
The national president of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) Wilberforce Awortwe Tabbi noted that the national service persons have chalked a number of successes, including donation of blood to the Korle Bu blood bank. He paid glowing tribute to the memory of national service persons who lost their lives in the year in the course of duty, and also called on all national service persons to continue preaching peace in the country.
Graphic.com.gh/Ghana
