Statement: WHAT IS NANA ADDO DOING ABOUT THE 10,5 MILLION UNEMPLOYED GHANAIANS ? CDG

WHAT IS NANA ADDO DOING ABOUT THE 10,5 MILLION UNEMPLOYED GHANAIANS ?
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WILL RELEASE 2,4 MILLION JOBLESS DURING AKUFO ADDO`S TERM OF OFFICE

The Caucus for Democratic Governance, Ghana (CDG–GH), has observed, with interest, that Ghanaians are increasingly complaining because they have no jobs, and that many of the promises made by Nana Addo during 2016 election; have not been realized, especially the promises on job creation.
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INITIATIVE TO CREATE JOBS
32 months down the lane, not a single job has been created apart from the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) unemployed graduates who have been demonstrating because they are not being paid. Jobs created in the Agricultural sector are mostly casual jobs lasting a few hours to a few months. The President is at the end of his innovative ideas. He is unable to think outside the box to roll out projects that can create jobs and sustain livelihood. He lacks what it takes to create jobs.

The truth is that he has borrowed over 70 billion to 80billion in 32 months, more than any other President in Ghana, but cannot show a single major project to his credit. His flagship project – free SHS; is limping. Students are still sleeping in congested dormitories, and classroom due to lack of logistics and infrastructure. Students complain about inadequate food supply, and Government payments for food are in arrears.

JOB LOSES
There has been many job losses since the take over in 2017. In May to August 2018, not less than 10,285 job loses were recorded, the highest unemployed rate in the history of Ghana, within that

period. EIB Network and Group Nduom lost 250 jobs; Textile Works lost 235 jobs; BXC Company Limited lost 200 jobs; Rider Steel Company lost 400 jobs; Goldfields Ghana lost 1,500 jobs; Consolidated Bank Ghana lost 1,700 jobs; Vodafone Ghana lost 2,000 jobs and Oil Marketing Company lost 4,000 jobs. Besides about 20,000 people have also lost their jobs directly due to 420 financial institutions that have been shut down. Adding the indirect jobs lost as a result of the banking crises we have about 40,000 to 50,000 who are jobless and out of business.
This has created major problems in the banking sector, including Industries that depend on these banking sectors. This has also deepened the already existing Ghanaian mistrust and lack of confidence in the system. Mr President, if you cannot create jobs do not kill the existing jobs created by former President John Mahama,

LEARNING FROM MAHAMA
I believe strongly President Akufo Addo can learn from the strategy of former President Mahama. President Mahama carried out massive Infrastructural projects. The building of Tamale and Ho Airports; Universities at Ho and Sunyani; University hospitals in Legon and Tamale; building of Regional hospitals in all the ten Regions; building of polyclinics and chip compounds across the length and breath of the country. He constructed the Kwame Nkrumah and Kasoa Interchanges. He constructed the cocoa roads and other roads including the eastern corridor road. He also built about 130 of the two hundred Day Secondary Schools across the country, all in the name of employment for the people.

MASSIVE EMPLOYMENT
The above listed projects lasted many years and gave jobs to over 2,4 million unemployed. Nurses could find jobs in the newly built hospitals. Teachers and lecturers could find employment. Engineers, carpenters, masons, painters, electrician, drivers, laborers, surveyors, contractors and many others found jobs from the projects. Market women and shops and businesses were happy because there was brisk trading and so could employ more people.
It is sad, but President Akufo Addo will never learn from good examples. Even as I write, his Government continues to talk of one District one factory, when the following completed factories
Komenda Sugar Factory
Aveyime Rice Project
Ayensu Starch Factory
Pualugu Tomato Factory

Kumasi Jute Factory,
built with the tax payers money are lying waste. This cannot be in the interest of Ghana, especially when 10,5 million people are jobless.

DOES THE PRESIDENT KNOW?
The President probably does not know, that about 130,000 graduates are chained out every year from our tertiary Institutions. About 383,000 are chained out of the SHS. If we subtract those entering the tertiary institutions, we are left with 253,000 on the street. From the JHS, we have about 603,000 being chained out. If you subtract the 383,000 who gain admission to SHS, we are left with 220,000 on the street. Out of the school system therefore, the total number of unemployed set on the street
every year is 603,000. In four years, it will be 2,412,000. These figures are on the lower side because the school feeding program and fee free SHS have increased the numbers. If we count the number of present unemployed at about 10.5 million, we will be confronted with a conservative figure of about 19 million unemployed in 2020; considering the 2.7% yearly population increases. What is Nana Addo doing about this explosive social dynamite ?

Dr E.K.Hayford
Chief Convener-CDG-GH
0277606338/ 0507694343