Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Professor Felix Asante, has attributed high rate of youth unemployment to government’s empty coffers.
He was speaking Monday on Adom FM.
His comment follows the picketing of hundreds of the Ghana Nurses and Midwife Trainees Association (GNMTA) members at the Flagstaff House Monday.
The GNMTA members say although they have completed their studies, they are yet to be posted. They say the Ministry of Health has failed to give them a reason for delays in their postings.
Over 70 graduates drawn from the various campuses of the Ghana School of Hygiene on Monday also besieged the premises of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to demand postings to various health facilities across the country.
The graduates say they have not been posted since 2011 and have vowed to keep picketing at the Ministry’s premises until government announce their postings.
Professor Felix Asante programme host Afia Pokua that the plight of the picketing graduates and nurses is the same for scores of youth in the country.
The ISSER director said huge numbers of unemployment in the country is a function of government’s poor financial standing.
2014 unemployment figures by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) said youth unemployment rate was 5.5 percent.
“Government must sit up to fix the challenges facing the people,” ISSER Director said.
He said health workers and skills of the graduates are needed in both in the urban and rural areas and urged government to find a way to put them to work.
“I think it’s about time policy makers create enough space for young entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas” Professor Felix Asante emphasized.
Prof. Asante said the agitations by the youth shows that they are frustrated. He said government must sit up and find lasting solutions to the rising unemployment situation in the country.
<<Print>>