I didn’t do national service – Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey

The Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has revealed that she did not undertake national service after her tertiary education.

Botchwey told the appointments committee of parliament during her vetting on Monday that the law mandating national service came into effect a year after she graduated.

“I did not do national service…the law came into effect a year after I left school,” she said.

The minister-designate, who is also the Member of Parliament for Anyaa-Sowutwuom in the Greater Accra Region, told parliament that she would work hard to improve efficiency at the foreign affairs ministry.

She said she would work to make passport acquisition process in the country very smooth.

Botchwey also outlined plans to prevent Ghanaians from being taken abroad and put into slave jobs by unscrupulous travel agents.

“The agents do not adhere to the agreements and Ghanaians are sometimes taken to different countries and as a result are abused. In most cases, the victims are women and it is very worrying,” she said.

The minister-designate said she would work to sensitize people to the tricks of such unscrupulous agents and also collaborate with the Ministry of Interior to interrogate people leaving the country as regards their destination.