Don't politicise NABCO - Youth Coalition

The Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Coalition for Youth Development in Ghana, has urged the government to ensure that the recently launched Nation's Builders Corps is all-inclusive and not limited to only party supporters.

It said the nation's youth were excited about the intervention, the prospect of reducing the high graduate unemployment and therefore there should be space for everybody.

The Coordinator of the Coalition, Mrs. Theodora Williams Anti, who made the call through the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said it was clear from their interactions young people from across the political divide that they were all relieved that at least they would temporarily be having something doing to earn some income.

There was however, anxiety among them, regarding how the selection would be done.

She said some of them were also worried about the sustainability of the programme in the absence of reliable information on how it was going to be funded.

Mrs. Anti expressed concern about the high rate of unemployment and said many of the employment initiatives in the past had not been helpful because they were politicised and saturated with ghost names.

Even though the numbers looked good on paper the actual situation on the ground was completely different - depleting the nation’s resources and having very little to show for it.

NABCO was launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on May 01, to coincide with the Workers Day celebration.

Mrs. Anti spoke of the need for transparency in its implementation and said if possible independent and private bodies should be engaged to conduct the selection and posting of the beneficiaries.

The programme, she added, needed to be accessible everybody, who qualified. She also asked that provision was made for young people living with disabilities.

The Coalition is the umbrella body for youth development organisations and youth groups across the country.