President John Dramani Mahama has urged students of the University of Ghana to vote massively for him in the upcoming elections.
According to him, he has made remarkable progess in transforming Ghana’s economy for the better since he assumed office.
Speaking to students of the University of Ghana on Thursday, as part of his Greater Accra regional campaign tour, President Mahama said government has ensured that the business environment in the country is conducive enough to make private enterprises thrive and expand.
He said this was to enable them employ more graduates since the public sector alone, is unable to employ the tens of thousands of students who graduate from the various tertiary institutions yearly.
Many stakeholders have bemoaned the high levels of unemployment in the country, and the prevailing lack of job opportunities.
Some have warned that the failure of government to address the situation may worsen the country’s economic fortunes, and lead to an increase in social vices.
But President Mahama said his government is doing its best to arrest the situation.
“We are producing nearly 50,000 graduates a year, take that and look at the public sector, definitely the public sector cannot absorb that number a year; so it means that mostly they will be absorbed by the private sector,” he said.
He added that “so government’s first responsibility in job creation is to create a stable economic environment so that that private sector can grow. Government’s second responsibility is to make sure that the young people are coming out with the right skills for the world of work.”
President Mahama urged the students to assess the job market and acquire skills relevant to the job market; and identify areas where their skills will be needed to guarantee their employment.
Unemployment situation worrying’
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Presidential candidate, Nana Akufo Addo, has expressed worry over Ghana’s soaring rate of youth unemployment.
While admitting that the current situation can be likened to a time bomb waiting to explode, Nana Addo said urgent steps must be taken to address the situation.
‘Unemployment Ghana’s biggest problem’.
‘Unemployment Ghana’s biggest problem’
A recent survey conducted by the Institute of Economic Affairs, (IEA), identified unemployment as the foremost problem confronting the majority of Ghanaians today.
According to the survey, urban dwellers, females, and the majority of people living in the Western, Eastern and Central regions, identified unemployment as their biggest problem in country.
The respondents identified poverty and unreliable electricity supply respectively, as the two other most important problems confronting Ghana today.
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