Parliament has approved the National Service Authority Bill 2024, to make the scheme an authority at its sitting on Tuesday 9, July.
The Bill seeks to establish an Authority as a body corporate with the requisite legal capacity to develop and implement policies, and programs for national Service.
The National Service Authority Bill, 2024, was laid in Parliament by the Education Minister under a certificate of urgency on Friday, 14th June, under the Cabinet Memorandum dated Tuesday, 7th May.
The Bill was subsequently referred to the Committee on Education for determination of the urgency or otherwise in accordance with Order 160(2) of the Standing Orders of Parliament.
Speaking to the press outside chamber after the bill passage, Executive Director of NSS Osei Assibey Antwi noted that with this approval, powers has been given to them to enhance entrepreneurship.
“Now parliament has given us an autonomy, authority that is vested with powers in the areas that will enhance entrepreneurship with regards to that of the National Service Scheme”he said
Again, the board has been empowered with administrative oversight to ensure enlargement
“With this current approval of National Service becoming an authority, the board has been empowered meaning that administrator-ship, we will now draw a lot of powers from the board and that is so enlarging and building with a numerous skills coming from all sectors” he added
Further, Dr. Osei stressed that this will enable them have representation coming in from the Ministry of Education, Health and a whole lot with outstanding status which will see them adding up to the good work that has been stated by the current board.
He was rest assured that H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo will assent to the Bill to give it, it finality to become law.
He equally used the opportunity to express gratitude to honorable members of parliament with the unity to which they worked on the Bill void of partisan politics.
By: Mary Quartey
