Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A) August 3, GNA-This year's National Service Week in the Dormaa Municipality has been launched in Dormaa-Ahenkro with a call on graduates to venture into self employment rather than chase non-existing white collar jobs.

Launching the week under the theme "National Service in the drive towards a better Ghana", the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dormaa-West, Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, noted that graduates of the nation's tertiary institutions have over the years, dwelt too much on efforts at getting white-collar jobs at all cost and often forget the need to expose and develop their inherent talents.

The Member of Parliament urged the service personnel to use the week to reflect on experience gathered during the one-year service to as they prepare for the competitive job market.

Mr. Agyemang-Manu advised the service personnel to share their rich experience with their younger people in second circle schools to allay fears harboured by prospective service persons that National Service was "National Suffering".

The Municipal Chief Executive for Dormaa, Mr. Vincent Oppong Asamoah, commended the 2009/2010 batch of service personnel posted to the municipality for their dedication to work and their readiness to serve even in areas that lacked social amenities.

He urged them to extend same to their future places of work in order to win confidence and magnanimity for themselves and their chosen occupations.

The General Manager for the West Brong-Ahafo Presbyterian Health Service, Mr. Fred Effah-Yeboah said National Service was a programme designed to instil discipline and patriotism into future leaders of the country and should therefore not be viewed as the responsibility for the few in the society.

He reminded national service personnel that every choice in life might have their peculiar opportunity cost which could only be managed when one has respect for authority, firmness, resilience and the capacity to take risks and also accept any challenges that might crop up in the process.

The Municipal National Service Director, Mr. Thomas Kumi announced that his office took delivery of a total of 172 persons last year comprising 87 National Service persons and 85 volunteers.

He expressed profound gratitude to user departments and agencies for accepting the personnel and giving them the necessary support and encouragement to stay and complete their national assignment.

The Municipal NASPA President, Mr. Ezekiel Daribi, called on his colleague service personnel to use their knowledge and expertise to fight against corruption, ethnocentrism, nepotism and all negative practices that have the potential to derail Ghana's drive towards socio-economic advancement.