Sanctions for National Service Dodgers

The National Service Scheme is adopting a number of tough measures to bring to book all qualified personnel who have refused to do their service.

Besides insisting on the traditional policy of no government employment for defaulters, the scheme is liaising with the passport office and the embassies not to issue passports and other travelling documents to them.

Mr Boniface Gambila, Director of the Scheme told the Ghana News Agency after Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi inaugurated the new National Service Board in Accra in an interview.

He said the scheme was compiling a list of all defaulters and would present it to the Attorney-General's Department for prosecution.

He said between April and June this year, the scheme received 45 letters from overseas institutions requesting information on the national service status of people desiring to enter into those institutions.

Those who defaulted in their service to the nation would not be recommended to enter those foreign institutions.

Mr Gamabila assured service personnel that the scheme had improved on the payment of services allowances for them to be paid monthly instead of the hitherto practice of delayed payment to them and urged prospective personnel to accept postings to deprived areas where their services were mostly needed.