Government urged to halt extension of pensioners after 60 years
Mr. Akwasi Owusu Afrifa-Mensa, Director, Finance and Administration of the Ghana School Feeding Programme has called on Government to halt all extensions of pensioners extending their mandate after 60 years of service.
“Whatever expertise they have, they should allow young people to also take up the Challenge and I believe that when given the opportunity, the young people can deliver and take this country to the promise land”
Mr Afrifa-Mensah made the call at the maiden annual Youth Empowerment Forum at Amasaman a suburb of Accra.
He said in order to see the country developed, there should be urgent and pragmatic programmes to ensure that all graduates either SHS, Polytechnic or University were employed and paid well.
“The youth are the engine of every economy and for Ghana to develop, there is the need to equip the youth or young graduates with jobs.
“I want to passionately appeal to the government to as a matter of urgency quadruple its steps to find solution to the employment situations in the country”.
Mr Mensah stated that unemployment was the main cause of many social vices including; bribery, corruption, armed robbery, drug abuse, prostitution, homosexuality, depression, travelling abroad through the Sahara Desert among others.
He commended government for the youth in Agriculture, planting for food and jobs, YEA and few other programmes aimed at curbing the unemployment menace facing the youth.
The programme was on the theme “Eradicating unemployment and underemployment; preparing the youth for the job market”.
He advised the youth not to give up after their initial failures, but should rather Keep trying and learning till success was achieved.
“I want to plead with the government and other financial institutions to open their doors for the young graduates to access loans without any hindrance to start their own business”.
Ms Irene Ockrah-Anyim, Coordinator of the programme said it was aimed at empowering the youth, throwing light on basic interviewing skills and educating them on how to modify their curriculum vitae.
Over 200 youth participated at the programme and it would continue every year.
Source: GNA