National Service personnel within the Ashanti Region have been urged not to see the Service as an imposition but an opportunity to learn new things which will also add up for the national good. Mr. Gabriel Nyorkeh, the District Director of National Service, Nkawie who made this exhortation also encouraged the service personnel who had gathered for an orientation programme on Thursday at the auditorium of the Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI) to embrace values such as honesty, loyalty, punctuality and dedication to duty. These values, he noted were what would see them become national and international leaders as well as captains of industry. Mr.Nyokeh, who was the main speaker at the orientation, observed that developing character was a choice that everyone must pursue, adding that it was essential for service personnel to bring their knowledge on board their jobs in order to positively affect lives. He advised the personnel to consciously try and settle on carriers they seek to pursue since according to him, “there is no better time than now.” Mr. Asiedu Boafo, the Metro Director of the National Service Secretariat in Kumasi encouraged personnel of the service to employ the appropriate channels of seeking redress and sorting out their grievances. He explained that the Secretariat was there on their behalf urging them to report any mistreatments they encounter at their various postings to the Secretariat. The caution was for all personnel and would – be personnel to quench all tendencies of evading national service since it is a constitutional requirement. “You may face a vetting panel one day and your inability to produce your national Service certificate might work against you and cause you to lose a great opportunity”, the Metro Director warned. He further advised the personnel to take active part in all activities of the Secretariat so as to make their programmes a success. According to him, a lot went into the organization of service weeks and other programmes and urged them to make meaningful contributions whenever it was required of them. The personnel also took turns to ask questions on issues of concern to them regarding the National Service Secretariat and its activities. The fully packed auditorium was thrown into laughter when one of the personnel asked why they were not being considered in the ex-gratia debate that has currently engulfed the country, stating that in his view personnel undergoing National Service were contributing so much to the productivity of the nation and deserve to be beneficiaries of some form of ex-gratia. National Service activities commenced in Ghana in 1973 in response to proposals from graduands of the three major universities in the country; the then University of Science and Technology now KNUST, the University of Ghana and the Cape Coast University. Story by Bernard Buachi, Kumasi. bernardbuachi@yahoo.com.au