The Office of the Dean of Students in collaboration with the National Service Scheme (NSS) has organized a two-day orientation programme for final year students ahead of the 2022/23 National Service Year.

The orientation was aimed at equipping prospective national service personnel with the requisite information regarding what was required of them within their one-year mandate with their user agencies. It also gave the soon-to-be national service persons in-depth insight into the functions and operations of the NSS, along with other career-enhancing skills.

Addressing participants, the Central Regional Administrator of the NSS, Mr. Daniel Dawuso, advised the students to demonstrate a high sense of discipline in their quest to help their user agencies to effectively serve the public. He cautioned them against lukewarm attitudes to work in order to build a strong corporate image for their prospective user agencies. He also urged participants to accept placements as part of their contributions towards the socio-economic development of the country.

The NSS Regional Administrator took participants through the process of logging onto the Scheme’s website to check their placements. He further explained the procedures participants would go through to their various user agencies to endorse their appointment letters before they book appointments online for registration and validation at designated centres in their preferred regions.

Mr. Dawuso said national service was compulsory for all final year students who had graduated from tertiary institutions in the country, adding that it marked the beginning of service to the nation and initiated first-timers to public and civil service life.

He cautioned participants against dealing with unscrupulous persons who extort money from them on a promise to post them to their preferred user agencies. Mr. Dawuso entreated the final year students to join the National Service Personnel Association and take advantage of its programmes and activities to build their capacities.

The Assistant Registrar at the Office of the Dean of Students, Mrs. Afua Anima Ntow, in a brief speech, advised the participants to take the orientation programme seriously so as to make impact in their prospective user agencies.

The orientation topics included “Modules of NSS, deferment of NSS, Relevance of NSS, offences for personnel, leaves for personnel, exemption of NSS, amongst others.

Other resource persons at the orientation included Mr. Ernest Adams, the NSS Central Regional Manager of the Management and Information System, as well as some staff of the Scheme.