The Deputy Education Minister in charge of Tertiary Education says the issue of youth unemployment in Ghana is not peculiar to the country.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said countries in Europe and America which serve as greener pastures for their African counterparts are themselves battling with their own unemployment issue.
According to him, the political developments sweeping across the world sends the signal that rather than traveling to foreign countries, citizens must be committed to improving the conditions in their own country.
He cited the recent referendum in Britain in which the citizens voted to cede from the European Union (EU) and the surprising victory of Republican’s Donald Trump in the United States to stress his point.
“Donald Trump is promising to build a wall and not bridge to prevent individuals who want to travel to the US for jobs,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa made these remarks when he addressed students, lecturers and faculty heads at the University of Ghana during a special Joy FM’s Ghana Connect programme Wednesday.
The programme delved into findings of a research conducted by Financial Accountability and Transparency – Africa (FAT-Africa).
FAT-Africa Programmes Manager, Dr Francis Darko said over 1,163 citizens partook in the research with a majority of them saying they would vote for a presidential candidate whose manifesto could address the youth unemployment in the country.
Out of the 16 issues presented to the respondents, he said, issues of unemployment ranked first followed by “Good, quality, and Purposeful education.”
The other issues that came up include, Accelerated Economic Growth, Accelerated Agricultural Growth, Human development/pro-poor, inclusive and equal opportunity for all, (9) Rapid industrialization, Quality public infrastructure, Financial Accountability and Corruption, and Transparency in Governance.
Some of the students who were in attendance expressed fear about the growing unemployment status of Ghana’s youth.
A Teaching Assistant of the Political Science Department said he has decided to return to school because he does not want to join the bandwagon of unemployed graduates in the country.
A female final year student who gave her name as Philomena said she had resolved to travel out of Ghana when she graduates in 2017.
“I am scared because none of the manifestoes proposed by the political parties gives me hope,” she said.
A student journalist with Radio Universe said the various manifestoes of the political parties are nothing extraordinary because anybody at all can design one.
“What counts are the determination, preparedness, and commitment of the candidates to deliver on their promises,” he said.
He said both the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) have proven unreliable because they failed to fulfill promises they made to Ghanaians.
But Mr Ablakwa said despite the significant progress made in the country Ghanaians are not seeing it because they remain continue to remain pessimistic.
“Let us begin to believe in our ability. Ghana is not a basket case. It is making progress and it is rising,” he said, adding, Ghanaians adopt a different attitude when they travel outside which sees them work two to three jobs but this is not the case when they are here in Ghana.
He said the many infrastructural projects undertaken by the government across the country created over 400,000 jobs within three and a half years.
“The Kwame Nkrumah Interchange created over 1,000 jobs,” he said, adding the most proven way to create jobs in the country is to construct infrastructure which would bring on board several workers.
We cannot adopt the mindset of mistrust for our leaders and expect things to improve, he said. “If you take this attitude to any other country you will not make it.”
Source: myjoyonline
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Who has demanded Zero per cent unemployment rate???
Name: WOYOME MONEY IS BARAWO MAHAMA MONEY MAHAMA IS THE LEADER OF THE NDC JULOR MAFIA. HIS BROTHER IBRAHIM IS PART OF THE GANG, WOYOME, BETTY MOULD IDRISSU,THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL MARIETTA BREW APPIAH-OPPONG, TONY LITHUR(MAHAMA'S LAWYER) AND A HOST OF NDC ACTIVISTS ARE ALL MEMBERS OF THE GANG. LIKE COURAGEOUS AMIDU SAID, THE ONLY WAY GHANA CAN MAKE WOYOME PAY OUR MONEY BACK IS TO KICK BARAWO MAHAMA OUT. SO GHANA PEOPLE LET'S DO THIS: VOTE BARAWO MAHAMA AND HIS NDC JULOR MAFIA OUT IN DECEMBER. INSHA ALLAHU!!!
Even NDC headquarter was build with a stolen money. I rest my case.
How do you create jobs in this corrupt environment with an enabler incompetent corrupt president covering up for looters and con artist? How do justifies Woyome saga? It's very encouraging for MahamaH appointees and NDC politicians; the enabler president will defend, protect and cover-up for you. Why not steal and loot, after all you will have the support of the president. You will be prosecuted if only you loot on the blind side of the corrupt incompetent president. Every contract is inflated and the difference looted by CR1MINAL CORRUPT politicians with impunity? We're sick and tired of Mahamah's BORROW, INFLATE, CREATE, LOOT, SHARE and COVER-UP corrupt economic policies period. We need a change.
Even 30% employment rate is not possible so long as politicians are using corrupt mean with impunity to get rich without producing anything, setting up companies, owing commercial farms and businesses to create jobs and taxes. Can you tell Ghanaians how you made your money to a point of throwing money in the air from your car booth during your party parliamentary campaign? Can you made your tax return the last ten years, if any, to support your wealth? Corruption is what's impeding the progress and prosperity of Ghana. Let me tell you, Ghana can never corrupt her way into prosperity period. NDC CR1M1NAL INCOMPETENT CORRUPT ***barred word*** parading as politicians will never tell the truth because they're capitalizing on the incompetent ENABLER corrupt president to enrich themselves at the expense of Ghana. And when war broke out because of corruption, NA WHO CAUSE AM? Why are Ghanaians risking to go to overseas? Why can't we create jobs for them? Who're the nation wreckers? Why can't we add values to our raw materials to bring economic prosperity? Look deep inside you and answers these question and you will the true answers if you're an honest person. We're our own enemies. Change is on the way.
After completing the circle Interchange where are those workers going to work? we are talking of permanent job and not this watowalasa .Ti is not wonder when you asking university students to go and do road maintenance as good employment [road padzipadzi] Incompetence government.
Nobody is asking for zero rate of unemployment bacause it not possible. We are talking about 48-50% unemployment that is currently affection the country. Address it and stop beating about the ***barred word*** with propaganda. Was it not this same ***barred word*** who said in 2010 that the government had created 1.6million non-existent jobs?
What is the use of this guy, he does not speak any sensible thing at all? The most ***barred word*** minister or whatever
Everyone know you cant have Zero unemployment rate but people must leave comfortably. because there are different kinds of unemployment