However, as we mark World Youth day on this day, it is regrettable to state that the noble dreams of many young men and women which flourished under the previous NPP government have all of a sudden become nightmares under the John Mahama led National Democratic Congress government.At present, the issue of unemployment has notoriously assumed legendary dimensions. Yet, government displays nothing by wanton cluelessness and ineptitude in respect of how to effectively deal with this national crisis with the necessary finesse. Consequently, the whole concept of youth empowerment has become a mirage; leaving the youth of the country in a rather sorry state. Thus, whiles for example the previous N.P.P government under the distinguished leadership of John Agyekum Kufour bequeathed to Ghana, a thriving national youth employment program which provided several job opportunities to the youth, the NDC will for the very first time in the history of our country, be bequeathing onto Ghanaians, the Unemployed Graduates Association of Ghana (UGAG) with branches across the country. If our highly skilled graduates cannot find jobs to do, then what becomes of the ‘less educated‘ in our society. How pathetic!
While the NDC government has woefully failed in this venture, it is unfortunate to state that, the complimentary role played by the private sector has also been gravely affected by the longest haul of ‘dumsor’ ever to be witnessed in the history of Ghana. Consequently, businesses have over the past few years been hit with rather high cost of production with the resultant effect of unprecedented job cuts.
The education sector has not also been spared as performances of students continue to dip in the wake of governments blatant refusal to provide essential teaching and learning materials and the unending dreaded ‘dumsor’ which has brought so much hardship to the Ghanaian student. Today for no fault of theirs, our students are forced to assemble around street streets, candles and lanterns with all the potential risk just to prepare for exams. Thus although undesirable we are not surprised with the recently released results of the West African Examination Council.
A careful study of the results would reveal that given the pass rate of core subjects, over 70,000 students would for the upcoming academic year not be admitted into any tertiary institution. What becomes of these young men and women who are only victims of the mismanagement of the John Mahama led NDC government.
As we celebrate International Youth Day, I charge the teeming youth of Ghana to take their destiny into their own hands by becoming Agents of Change from the current status quo which militates against their personal and self-advancement.
…Signed…
Samuel Awuku
(National Youth Organizer)
