<<Print>>

The attitude of the NDC government towards the youth of this country is one that passes for national security concern. The current economic situation in the country, the hopelessness of the youth due to the NDC governments dubious posture, the rising unemployment, social tension among the youth should engage the attention of all stakeholders. In particular, the fraudulent scheme designed by Mahama's goverment to short-change the youth of this country to fabulously enrich themselves cannot go without mention. It will be recalled that in 2005, the New Patriotic Party [NPP] under the leadership of former President J.A Kufuor created the National Youth Employment Programme[NYEP] to forestall any national upheavals resulting from acute youth unemployment. Most of the youth in Ghana beamed with hope and confidence into the future as skills training, knowledge acquisition and job placement were available for all categories(formal and informal sectors of the economy). Looking into the future under the NPP was promising for the youth of Ghana. Unfortunately, Mahama's NDC government has managed to dupe the youth of this country under the guise of the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneural Development Agency[GYEEDA]. The rot, theft, looting and officially sanctioned corruption will forever remain a scar on youth development and empowerment in Ghana. Goverment officials and their cabals conive to create, loot and share money meant for the youth. Under inexplicable circumstances , millions of Ghana Cedis were paid to NDC functionaries for no work done. Monies have been paid for non-existing contracts, ghost empolyees, overly inflated payments while Ghanaian youth wallowed in abject poverty and squalor. Most of them have had to engage in hazardous and often life threatening ways to survive. President Mahama, in the face of this wickeness done the youth of Ghana, is hell bent on massaging this stinky GYEEDA report to safe himself, his cohorts and the NDC. He has formed a compromised committee headed by P. V. Obeng to cover the damning areas in a calculated review. Corruption is to be repackaged and given a new name that unsuspecting Ghanaians will appreciate. For months unend, the committees report remains at the Office of the President. The National Youth Wing of NPP is baffled at the attempts to cover the stench emanating from this report. The youth of Ghana forms 58% of the population according to the 2010 population and housing census. Youth unemployment in the country has skyrocketed to 38% (ISSER 2010) under the NDC. Again, ISSER reports that, only 2% of the 250,000 youth who enter the labour market secure jobs in the formal sector while the remaining 98% struggle to find a place to survive in the informal sector. These statistics are fraightening. The National Youth Policy and the African Youth Charter all state expressly that, every young person shall have the rigth to gainful employment and that, the State is obligated to provide conditions for the realization of this. The National Youth Wing of the NPP wants an immediate release of the report and the measures taken by government to give hope to the Youth through job creation and skills development. We also call on other youth groups in Ghana to demand same. Signed: Emmanuel Attafuah-Danso National Youth Organizer, NPP Mobile: 0208231667