The Minister of Labour, Jobs, and Employment-designate, Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, has clarified a viral statement attributed to him, regarding providing jobs for unemployed graduates.

During his vetting proceedings before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Thursday, January 30, 2025, Pelpuo stated that the comments attributed to him were misrepresented and misquoted, with the intention of causing disaffection among the general public.

The lawmaker clarified that the statement he made during his guest appearance on a JoyNews program in 2015 was not his own words, but rather a quote from someone he had met and engaged with in a conversation about job creation and employment.

Pelpuo explained that he quoted the sentiments shared by the individual, who believed that people without any educational backgrounds or specific skillset could still be gainfully employed on their own.

“I went to NewsFile and I was asked a question. It was about job creation and about getting people to be employed. I explained that while I was coming, I met a specialist and he explained to me that everybody can work. And when he said so, he cited those examples.

“He said that if people want to be employed, they can be employed on their own, even if they have no education, they have no skills, they could still work. And he cited the example of a person living close to a place where buildings are being constructed,” he told the committee.

The parliamentarian further added that the individual, in an effort to make his point clear, gave the example of how unemployed people living near areas where animals are bred could cut grass and sell it to animal breeders as a way to earn money.

“And he said, if you live within that area and you feel you are unemployed, you can create a job for yourself. He didn't say graduates because I heard people saying I said graduates, I never said that.

“So, that person said, for persons who are unskilled and not educated and you live close to a place where construction is taking place, you could gather the stones there, which at the time a trip of stones was being sold for 1200 Ghana cedis. And he said if you did so, those stones could be sold and you earn something for yourself,” he continued.

He added, “And then he also said that if you live in a place where there are breeding animals with such a person as I described, you could also cut grasses and sell to those people and you will earn something. In this sense, that single person who has no education and no skill can still be employed by himself.”

Pelpuo stressed that he never made the comments attributed to him, implying that the video might have been deliberately edited to portray him in a negative light ahead of the 2016 elections.

“They captured the part I was explaining that alone and used it a lot. I saw it a lot in the 2016 campaign against NDC that I said graduates should go and cut grasses and then collect stones and all that. Mr. Chairman, I know what I was talking about.

“And when I realised that people were misunderstanding and misusing it, I went looking for the full tape to play so people could see what I was saying. And I was also looking for the gentleman who gave me that idea to come to Joy News or Joy FM and speak about it,” he explained.



MAG/AE

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