Press Releases of Thursday, 21 October 2021
Source: Kofi Lucas
Problems that trigger socio-economic and moral decay challenges and debates such as unemployment, poverty, hardship and hunger etc are the causes of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex Plus (LGBTQI+), armed robbery, illicit drugs,” sakawa”, cyber fraud, cybercrime, occultism, struggling pensioners and get-rich-quick, among others.
There is serious pressure and stress on breadwinners who are struggling to put food on the table for the family. Some of these breadwinners do not know where their next meal will come from and they are frustrated in life.
In view of this, there is the desperate need for urgent solution through various concepts and initiatives, hence the need for Government to “Call for Proposals” from NGOs to act as a lead facilitator and to develop a comprehensive concept to tackle the problems identified in order to feed at least on daily basis Ten Million Needy Youth and Senior Citizens at the community levels nationwide for the next 4-years. Feeding the Needy is Biblical and in the right direction.
Indeed, the Lead facilitating NGO must take advantage of Government’s flagship programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), Rearing for Food and Jobs ( RFJ), One-District-One Factory (1D1F), Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) etc to champion this laudable cause.
In addition, the Facilitating NGO should be able to create and establish Cooperative Business and Artisanal Ventures to employ at least One million Jobless Youth and Adults Nationwide. The role that Government, stakeholders, Strategic Alliances and all on board will play must be properly defined for effective collaboration and realization of the aims and objectives of the project within 4-years.
In Africa and for that matter Ghana, what matters most to the down-trodden is putting food on the table. In view of this, it behoves on all political parties and any ruling government to spend much of their time, efforts and strategies in developing holistic, massive and comprehensive pro-poor interventions to put food on the table on daily basis for at least 30% of the entire population who are struggling genuinely.
In order to help reduce drastically if not completely, all socio-economic and moral vices in the communities in Ghana, the following should be considered.
• At least One million jobs created for our jobless youth and adults nationwide.
• At least Ten million Senior Needy Citizens / struggling Pensioners, the Poor and the hungry, Single Needy Mothers, the Needy Widows, the Orphans, Street boys & girls and Vulnerable persons fed daily in 3,000 electoral areas out of 5,702 electoral areas nationwide as a pilot project for 4 years.
• Agriculture Food products (DRY FOODS) would be given to at least 270,200 families in NEED in the remaining 2,702 electoral areas nationwide every month.
The COVID-19 Pandemic lockdowns have exposed the major weakness of the entire world, including Ghana. We saw on TV Stations how people were in long queues struggling for cooked foods and or dry foodstuffs in some Western, Eastern and African countries including Ghana.
The facilitating NGO should have what it takes to partner with Government and strategic partners in solving these problems of magnitude dimensions that has created unrest and unease by the populist: ‘WE ARE HUNGRY, WE WANT JOBS’ etc.
The concept must be seen working towards lifting the living standards of the citizens through feeding or providing dry foodstuffs and creating jobs for the following target groups namely:
• The Poor and Needy (i.e. Apprentices, trainees, interns, National Service Personnel etc.)
• Widows and Orphans
• The struggling Pensioners, Less-privileged and vulnerable (Street persons & beggars, Truck pushers, Kayaye )
• Those without jobs or legal means of earning income
• Workers who earn below or a little above the minimum wage
• The citizenry who earn just a little above or below the minimum wage
• Unemployed Graduates in the communities.
• Unskilled Unemployed Youth in the communities among others.
• Jobless Adults and Senior Citizens in the communities etc.
• Deprived schools (Special Schools) and institutions (Psychiatric Hospitals, Aged Homes, Orphanages etc.) in Ghana.
When through this initiative is translated into reality, and we demonstrate in practical terms, that we are One-Another’s-Keeper, and on daily basis, over Ten million people are fed, or provided with dry foodstuffs and at least One million jobs created for the jobless, then these slogans: We Care for You / We are Working for You / We are Working for Ghana / and or Better Ghana Agenda / Government Flagship programmes etc. then all these slogans become meaningful, appreciative and reasonable to the down-trodden.
We are of the view that passing the anti-LGBTQ+ Law alone, may not end the practice, promotion and funding LGBTQI+ activities, if consideration is not put on creating massive jobs, feeding target groups and above all, fervent 24-hour-non-stop daily prayers by prayer warriors and intercessors at all levels.
Government needs all and sundry to combine forces with good plans, intentions, passion, compassion, can-do spirit, perseverance, vision, innovations, initiatives and commitment to join hands with it to solve the numerous problems and challenges facing Ghana by disseminating to the Grassroots, Government’s Coordinated Programme of Economic And Social Development Policies 2017- 2024. An Agenda for Jobs: Creating Prosperity And Equal Opportunities For All.
The Minister of Finance, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, has informed the 2021 graduating class of the University of Professional Studies-Accra (UPSA) that government’s payroll is full – making it unsustainable to keep adding to the employment figures in the public sector, hence the need to create their own jobs.
According to him, government’s role is to create the needed enabling environment, establish micro-stability and ensure that citizens have the right skill set – and that is what government is going to do: focus on the youth and budget for their demands.
“The future for you in regard to jobs is the most important thing for you at this stage, and we have gone through a period when most people look for a job from government or state institutions, but that payroll is full.
“I can tell you that because we are spending about 60 percent of our revenue on remunerating some 650,000 people, and that is not sustainable,” he said. Source:thebftonline.com
We, the Network of Associations of Registered NGOs in Ghana (NARNGO) and Critical Strategic Thinkers Network (CSTN), are joining hands to champion the implementation of this initiative to ensure its success to complement Government’s efforts of making life bearable to the down trodden.
Critical Strategic Thinkers Network (CSTN), is a developmental Think Tank made up of Deep Thinkers and Problem-Solving Experts ( i.e. Strategists, Specialists, Talents and Professionals etc).
It is in view of this that the leaderships of NARNGO and CSTN are appealing to the President of the Republic of Ghana, through the office of the Chief of Staff, to call for proposals from Developmental NGOs as the President’s Project Code-named: “THE PRESIDENT’S PROJECT- OPERATION FEED GHANA”, which is similar to the Presidential Pitch.
This is to complement government’s efforts to tackle unemployment, poverty and hunger facing especially the down trodden at the community levels just to mention a few.
We the NARNGO and CSTN hope and pray that our humble request and suggestion will be given the needed attention, consideration and approval by His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana.
We are ready for further discussion on this matter in the interest of mother Ghana.
May God bless our Homeland Ghana and make us great and strong. Amen.
Yours in the service of Ghana.
Issued and signed on behalf of NARNGO and CSTN by
MR. KOFI LUCAS
( NARNGO National President & Project Strategist )
0244405632 / 0208184447 / 0262067337