‘President’s Address Must Outline Measures to Tackle Unemployment’

The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), a civil society organisation, says it expects President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to outline measures to address youth unemployment in his second State of the Nation Address.

Mrs Theodora Williams Anti, the Programmes Manager of FOSDA, said the increasing youth unemployment in the country was a serious security threat, which must be tackled urgently.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency about FOSDA’s expectations of the President’s State of the Nation Address, Mrs Anti said the threat of youth unemployment, if not tackled by the Government, could lead to social problems such as armed robbery and gangsterism.

President Akufo-Addo is expected to deliver his second State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday, February 8, in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution.

Mrs Anti commended the Government for addressing illegal mining in the country but cautioned that jobs must be created for the youth to prevent an increase in unemployment.

She said unemployment and financial hardship could lead the youth into crimes adding that although statistics were not available, recent events showed an increase in street attacks and petty thievery.

Mrs Anti said FOSDA, therefore, expected the President to outline measures on how the Government was going to retool the Police to be able to deliver more efficiently on their mandate.

She urged the Government to give more attention to addressing the issues of communal violence in areas such as Bimbilla in the Northern Region and Nkonya and Alavanyo in the Volta Region.

Source: GNA