PRESS RELEASE:

CPP Youth Disillusioned With The Mills -Led Litany Of Failed Promises

The Convention Peoples’ Party youth wing’s optimism and forward-look for hope in the 2012 budget and economic statement of Ghana by the President Mills-led administration were dashed and turned into shock and dejection.

With the marauding youth of the NDC foot soldiers coupled with the large numbers of unemployed graduates, the CPP expected the fulfilment of key promises outlined in the 2011 budget relative to youth development and pragmatic measures for sustainable job creation in 2012.

The CPP youth finds it unacceptable that the pledge of ensuring the passage of the NYEP law in 2011 as captured in paragraph 544 of the 2011 budget has become a sham and questions government’s genuine commitment towards youth employment and job creation. Yet again, the government has pledged to get this done in 2012, to which we have our doubts.

To add insult to injury, the promise of collaborating with the Retired Miners Association to introduce the Youth-in-Mining module in 2011 as captured in paragraph 545 of the same 2011 budget has become a mirage. No wonder, there is increasing involvement in “galamsey” by the disillusioned youth of Ghana with its attendant national security implications.

The situation has been made worse by the wilful neglect of our brothers with disabilities. When promised a “people-with-disability” module under the NYEP with a recruitment of 5,000 beneficiaries in 2011 as captured in paragraph 543 of that year’s budget, nowhere is it mentioned in the 2012 budget as to progress on this. Are we as a nation serious about integrated persons with disability into national development? Or it is just another facade by the Mills-Mahama administration to swindle our disabled brothers for whatever purposes they best know? Enough is enough!!!

As to the overemphasis on sports and sports-related issues to the detriment of core activities in youth development, job creation and skills training, we may yet face unprecedented agitations by disgruntled youth who cannot lay claim to the better Ghana agenda promised since 2009. TIME WILL TELL!!!

Murtala Mohammed (CPP-NATIONAL YOUTH ORGANISER)