I didn’t do National Service because I trained as a teacher – Deputy Finance Minister-designate

The Deputy Finance Minister-designate, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has explained why he did not undertake Ghana’s mandatory National Service, stating that he was exempted due to his training as a teacher.

Following his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Ampem addressed concerns on social media, writing on Facebook:

“Hello friends, following my vetting today, I wish to state that I was a teacher with GES that’s why I didn’t do the normal national service.”

During the vetting, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin questioned Ampem on whether he had completed his national service:

Afenyo-Markin: Did you do National Service?

Thomas Ampem: Mr Chairman, I did not do National Service…

Afenyo-Markin: Have you done National Service? Yes or No?

Thomas Ampem: No.

According to Ghana’s National Service Scheme Act, 1980 (Act 426), the one-year National Service is mandatory for all citizens aged 18 and above at the time of deployment. Section 7(1) of the Act states that individuals who have not completed the service cannot obtain employment unless exempted by the National Service Board.

However, Section 8 allows for exemptions or postponements. In Ampem’s case, he was exempted because his teacher training program included a National Service component under the Ghana Education Service (GES).

Established in 1973, the National Service Scheme aims to:

• Encourage national unity and service in nation-building.
• Support efforts to combat hunger, illiteracy, disease, and unemployment.
• Provide essential services, especially in rural areas.

Despite concerns about Ampem’s service status, his exemption aligns with the existing provisions for teacher trainees in Ghana.