Chief Imam Urges Government To Deal With Youth Unemployment

The Chief Imam, Sheik Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has called on government to address the high unemployment rate in the country.

According to him, the current levels of unemployment in the country are worrying and must be dealt with swiftly in 2018.

Speaking to Citi News, spokesperson of the Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu also asked the government to prioritize the implementation of policies that will provide job opportunities for all.

“Unemployment is an issue and young people who are growing will have to have hope. When they go to school, they want to return and also do something for themselves so we want a situation where policy will be directed towards ensuring that greater opportunity is created.”.

Meanwhile, the Christian Council of Ghana in its new year’s message also called on the government to prioritize the development of the youth by investing in them.

The General Secretary of the Council, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong who made the call said:“One area that attention must be given to is the development of our young people. Ghanaian young people are not lazy. They are determined, they want to work but we must be a country that gives hope and opportunities to our young people and it should not be hope outside us, it must be hope within and those who have resources to invest, must invest in this country for young people to get employment.”

‘Foundation laid’
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recently said that the government has put structures in place to ensure that the country’s unemployment challenges are addressed.

According to Nana Addo, despite inheriting an economy in dire straits, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration has worked assiduously towards ensuring that job opportunities are created for Ghanaians.

“We’ve had important challenges; Invincible and Delta Forces and the tensions at the grassroots of the party over jobs. I appreciate very much the anxiety over jobs. What I’m saying is that, the foundation has been laid for jobs. It has not been easy because we inherited a bankrupt economy, but because of the ingenuity of the people I’m working with, we’ve been able to lay a good foundation,” the President said in December.

Unemployment rate doubles in two years
Ghana’s unemployment rate stood at 11.9 percent in 2015, according to a report from the Ghana Labour Force Survey Report by the Ghana Statistical Service.

This was about twice the figure recorded in 2012/2013 (5.8%) based on the Statistical services strict definition of unemployment – where “one was not working, actively looking for a job and available for work.”

However, the definition changed for the 2015 studies which was based on a relaxed definition where “one was available for work and not working within the last seven days before an interview.”

The report which is the first of its kind and most detailed was designed to guide government’s plan in resolving the alarming rate of unemployment in the country.

‘Ghana’s biggest problem’
A recent survey conducted by the Institute of Economic Affairs, (IEA) also 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 Ghana.

The survey, conducted between November and December, 2015, sampled 1,500 respondents from across the ten regions of Ghana, who were 18 years of age, and above.

Source: Citifmonline