Josiah
The National Service Authority (NSA) has cautioned employers against recruiting graduates who have not completed their mandatory national service, warning that both employers and graduates could face prosecution for violating the law.
The Authority’s Deputy Director-General in charge of Programmes and Operations, Lieutenant Colonel Moses Dok Nach Kpeungu, said employers have a responsibility to verify the national service status of graduates before offering them employment.
He explained that the requirement is backed by the National Service Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1119), which makes national service compulsory for graduates of tertiary institutions.
Lt. Col. Kpeungu said employers who fail to conduct the necessary checks risk violating the law.
“You have frowned on the law if you employ somebody who have not done national service because it’s an act of parliament that says that national service is mandatory. For that matter, you, the employee and the employer, you have stepped on the law,” he said.
He stressed that employers who recruit graduates without requesting their national service certificates could also be held liable for failing to carry out the necessary checks.
“Failure to do national service because it means that you are not eligible for employment. So you, the employer, employing somebody who is a graduate without necessarily asking for national service certificate also commits a crime,” he added.
When asked whether any employer had been prosecuted for such an offence, Lt. Col. Kpeungu said he was not aware of any existing case but indicated that an employer could eventually be taken to court.
He therefore urged employers to verify the national service status of prospective employees to avoid running into trouble with the law.
Source: Omanghana
