The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Asiedu Nketia, has advised the government to create jobs for the youth rather than investing in riot-control gear for the Police.
According to him, it is prudent to give the youth jobs to enhance their livelihoods, which would deter them from engaging in demonstrations.
He was speaking at a graduation ceremony at Anfoega for some 80 females who trained in fashion designing and beautician courses, with sponsorship from the North Dayi Member of Parliament, Joycelyn Tetteh.
Mr Nketia said the country’s biggest problem has been youth unemployment which had become so alarming resulting in security threats.
“If you are in a country and more of your people are jobless, you cannot sustain any democracy. You can not continue to sustain peace in that country.
“And that is why I believe strongly that instead of spending more money on buying riot gear for the Police to foil demonstrations, it is better to find jobs for the youth so that when they are engaged, they will not find the need to demonstrate,” said Mr Nketia.
He, therefore, lauded Madam Tetteh’s initiative to equip the youth in her constituency with skills to enable them to engage in economic activities to support the livelihoods of their families.
He also counselled other Members of Parliament to emulate the gesture in creating jobs while they perform their primary duty of making laws to govern the state.
Madam Tetteh explained that she implemented the initiative to contribute to the development of women in the constituency by empowering them economically.
She said the skill development programme would be expanded to cover males in the coming years, aimed at propelling human resource development at North Dayi.
She added that the trainees have been provided with all requisite logistics to enable them to set up in the eight shops that have been rented for them.
“We will monitor them for five months to know if they are doing well or not, then we will advise ourselves on the way forward,” he explained.
The Paramount Chief of Anfoega, Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, stressed that the Volta Region remains part of Ghana hence, deserves equal attention from any government.
He said people from the region would contribute their quota to the progress and development of the country and assured that traditional rulers in the region would continue to play their roles and guard the peace, stability and growth of Ghana jealously.
Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, who is also the President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, expressed optimism the current hardship would be a thing of the past and invited all “to put their shoulders to the wheel” and work towards the progress of the country.