Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has inaugurated the Board of the Ghana National Service Scheme, in accordance with Sections 10 and 11 of the Service Scheme Act, 1980, Act 426.

The four-year tenure of office of the previous Board expired on the 6 January, 2017 in accordance with Section 12 (1) of the Act.

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The new board is expected to work in collaboration with the management of the scheme, to create opportunities for service personnel and the growth of the scheme.

Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh said the board is to control and manage the scheme on matters of policy, negotiate with an employer for the continued employment of citizens in the field in which they have completed their national service.

He said the board in appropriate cases, would take steps to enable citizens enter the field of self-employed, or any other field of entrepreneurship, and shall access the manpower needs of the Republic as well as advise government on the continued employment of citizens who complete their national service.

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"It is therefore unacceptable for national service personnel to refuse to accept postings to rural areas where their services are most needed," he said.

The Minister therefore urged members of the Board to be very innovative and to suggest ways and means by which the Scheme could be improved.

He charged the Board to concentrate on staff training, development and motivation; restructuring and re-branding of the Scheme; making the Scheme a resource and learning center for further youth development beyond the education acquired from school; ensuring the urgent review of your governing legislation, (Act 426 of 1980) to enrich the functions, mission, vision, objectives and goals of the Scheme; getting the Scheme to be self-financing and aggressively embarking on revenue generation activities and services; getting the Scheme to aggressively pursue its agricultural projects agenda it embarked upon some time ago; and evolving policies and strategies that will instill the right moral, ethical and cultural values and attitudes in National Service Personnel for a total development of the future human resources.

The new GNSS Board are Professor Kofi Osei Akuoko as its Chairman.

Other members are Hon. Ussif Mustapha (Executive Director of the Scheme), Dr. Jemima Nunoo (Nee Agyare), Mr. Godfred Kwame Fosu Agyen, and Dr. Kingsely Nyarko. The rest are Mr. Dominic Kwesi Eduah, Dr. Alhassan Sulemana Anamzoya and Nana Bediako Kyeremeh Ken.