National Service Scheme (NSS) is exploring more creative methods to end hunger, ensure sustainable food security and to create jobs through agriculture.
The scheme has set a target of cultivating commercial farms on a 20,000-acre land at Kumawu in the Sekyere District of Ashanti Region.
Executive Director of the NSS Osei Assibey Antwi was addressing executives of the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) during their week celebration in Kumasi.
He revealed that the NSS already has 14 farms across the country where it cultivates mainly maize.
However, the Kumawu Youth Farm will engage in mixed cropping and animal husbandry.
Under the theme ‘Deployment for Employment’, Mr Antwi explained that “the new strategic direction is the bedrock of the move to venture into full-scale commercial farming; currently, the NSS is in talks with agencies, including the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the MasterCard Foundation, which had expressed interest in making funds available for the cultivation of the land.”
He added that the farm will serve as immediate employment for all agric related graduates who are enrolled unto the National Service Scheme.
Meanwhile, Ashanti Region Director for the Scheme Alex Opoku Mensah further encouraged all personnel to accept in good fate any locations they are posted to because it forms part of the national assignment.
Mr Opoku Mensah explained that the scheme posts personnel where their expertise are needed not where they want to be posted to.
“So, if you are posted to any location to work as NSS personnel the person must understand that it is part of the national assignment to give back to your country so the issue of reposting and other complaints on postings shouldn’t be cropping up although there is window of reposting for few categories of people such as persons with disabilities who cannot access their facilities within their working area.”
Touching on some successes chalked since his assumption in office as Ashanti regional director, Mr. Opoku Mensah explained that the scheme has used its internally generated funds to fence the regional secretariat to ward off intruders.
“To maximize security at the regional secretariat we have installed 24/7 CCTV to monitor operations within and around the office.”
- The NSS regional director further bid the NASPA executives successful week celebrations and admonished them including the entire personnel across the 16 regions to celebrate the NASPA week anniversary in modesty to avoid any untoward outcome.
