These personnel expressed their reservations, asserting that Dr. Bawumia should prioritize improving working conditions for those undergoing national service rather than advocating for its optional status.
According to them, the national service period serves as a crucial time for fresh graduates to gain insights into industries and develop a strong work ethic.
They contended that making it optional would be detrimental to the learning experience of these recent graduates.
One past NSS personnel said "I think that National Service should be mandatory because it is a way of giving back to the state. You have to serve the nation for one year, and people also gain experience through national service. Some people are even employed after national service, and so if you make it optional, it is a way of encouraging people to leave the country right after school."
Dr. Bawumia pledged to make National Service optional for Ghanaian graduates if elected president, and no longer mandatory.
In his vision for the country, Bawumia emphasized the need to rethink the current national service scheme to aid youth employment.
He announced plans to propose changes that would allow graduates who secure jobs after completing their education to be exempted from mandatory national service during an address in Accra on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.