Let jobs flow - Nduom urges Prez
The 2016 and 2012 flag bearer of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, has asked the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to put the elections behind him and work towards providing jobs for the mass unemployed youth.
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In a tweet hours after the President's maiden media encounter last Tuesday, the PPP founder member reminded President Akufo-Addo that the 2016 general election was all about "jobs, jobs, jobs" so he should channel his energies into that.
Maiden media interaction
President Akufo-Addo, during his maiden media interaction, admitted that "creation of jobs" was the greatest challenge of his six-month old administration.
He strongly held the belief that the success of his administration would be judged on how many jobs he was able to create for the teeming youth in the country.
"The greatest challenge we face is the creation of jobs. Young people are very anxious about not finding jobs and their parents are even much more anxious about the future of their children after seeing them through school. I am well aware that the success or otherwise of my administration will be judged largely on job creation,” the President said.
To this end, the President said his administration was making efforts, including the launch of a National Entrepreneurship and Innovations Plan (NEIP), an innovative scheme under the Business Development Authority, which aims to assist business start-ups.
He disclosed that an amount of $10 million of public funds had been committed to the NEIP project which would assist owners to navigate their way in the early stages of business.
“We have committed $10 million of public funds, which we hope to leverage into $100 million from private sources to back the plan,” President Akufo-Addo stressed.
Campaign mood
However, the PPP believed the current administration was still in a campaign mood and was not fully convinced by their (NPP's) resolve to address the issue. Dr Nduom, thus, tweeted; "I am still convinced the 2016 election was all about jobs, jobs. Election now behind us, let the jobs flow."
Meanwhile, Dennis Agyei Boateng & Kukua Nketsia Asiedu also elicited views of some Ghanaians in the Accra Metropolis and reported that the respondents expressed mixed views.
A Communication Specialist, Mr Samuel Ato Afful, said the press conference was well organised and believed journalists probed the President well
“I do not see anything wrong when the President allowed his Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to answer some of the questions, because it signified teamwork at play.
IMF programme
The Manager of Naposa Enterprise, Mr Kwame Poku Siaw, indicated that the decision of the President to opt out of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme reflected his tough personality as an individual.
“He has proven he does not bend under pressure and is the right man to steer the affairs of the nation,” he said.
However, in the opinion of a Public Relations Officer, Mr Alhassan Bowsa, the maiden event was boring and wasteful.
That, he explained, was because critical questions on the rising impunity and lawlessness in the country as well as threats of insecurity, were not addressed properly and were swept under the carpet.
“A political party that promised not to borrow because Ghana has a lot of resources and money within, has since assuming political power, just seven months, borrowed over 30 million dollars. A party that promised to collect Alfred Agbesi Woyome’s money but today the party is telling us they cannot just go and collect the money because it involves legalities, we need to set the record straight,” he stated.
Free SHS
Commenting on the Free Senior High School (SHS), Mr Bowsa explained the free SHS concept the President also promised had changed.