Law exempts Otiko from national service - MP

Otiko Afisa Djaba does not need to do her national service because she is more than 45 years, thus, falls within the category of persons exempted by law from undertaking the one-year mandatory duty to the nation, Mr Anyimadu Antwi, a constitutional lawyer has argued.

“She doesn’t need to go and do national service before she comes into public life if she’s not been in public life before, if she was in public life before her statutory date, that would have been a different matter,” the MP for Asante Akyim Central told Moro Awudu on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Monday, 6 February.

The Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister-designate, a graduate of the University for Development Studies (UDS), told parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, 30 January that “I did not do national service because I was not in Ghana,” when the question was put to her by Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu.

Ghanaian students who graduate from accredited tertiary institutions are required by law to do a one-year national service to the country.

Candidates for national service may on application be exempted from service by the National Service Board on production of valid documentary evidence establishing that an individual has undertaken National Service at an earlier date.

Additionally, graduates who are 45 years old or more could be exempted from undertaking national service.

However, Ms Otiko explained to the committee that she travelled outside the country and could not have the opportunity to participate in the one-year service to the nation.

The Minority are arguing that she cannot be approved as a Minister since she did not do her national service. Her approval is on ice pending voting by parliament on Tuesday, 7 February.