Gideon Boako, the Economic adviser and spokesperson for the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, has defended Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s promise to make National Service optional if elected.
The Vice President, while addressing the nation on his vision on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, promised to make National Service non-mandatory for graduates who yearn to secure immediate jobs after completion of tertiary education.
He believes the concept of the current national service scheme needs tweaking to suit the demands of jobs by graduates.
This statement has sparked outrage, with some critics saying it is going to breed corruption.
A former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Vincent Kuagbenu, on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Thursday, February 8, 2024, accused Dr. Bawumia of making NSS optional because he did not undertake his mandatory national service when he completed university.
However, responding to the claims, Dr. Boako told the host of Eyewitness News, Umaru Sanda Amadu, that it is not a crime to skip national service.
“Whether he did National Service or not, I don’t know, and I’m not interested in knowing that. It is not everybody in this country who did National Service. In fact, today, it is not everybody who does National Service. If you attain a certain age and you’ve not done National Service, it waits for you.”
“There are people who don’t do National Service but under certain circumstances, it is waived for them. It is not a crime to say you haven’t done National Service. If the authorities consider the precedent and the prevailing conditions and they think they have to waive it for you, it happens.”
