Alhaji Alhassan Abdulai Red, Savelugu/Nanton Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), has appealed to the youth to acquire technical and vocational skills, so as to become self-employed in order to decent living.

He said one’s ability and preparedness to acquire skills was a major step towards becoming employable, and also successful entrepreneur to develop products to meet local and international demands.

Alhaji Red told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Savelugu that the current unemployment rate was a result of the youth who undertook academic programmes that had limited job opportunities.

He, therefore, pointed out that if priority was given to skills acquisition, it would help reduce the poverty rate in the country.

He said though government was committed to creating jobs for the youth to earn a living, it was the responsibility of the youth to shun the mentality that white collar jobs were the ultimate.

“The youth should think of establishing small businesses that would contribute to the socio-economic needs of the country, while parents put in a policy for the young to acquire at least a vocational or technical skill by age eighteen,” he recommended.

Alhaji Red said the Savelugu/Nanton Municipal Assembly had dedicated an office to undertake massive projects that would help improve the economic state of the Municipality.

He disclosed that a scholarship scheme had been established to support deserving students to pursue their education in tertiary institutions.

“Efforts are being made to acquire farming equipment to boost agribusiness, which is the backbone of the economy, therefore, there is the need for the youth to engage in agribusiness to help ensure food security in the country,” he said.

Touching on sanitation, the MCE attributed the insanitary condition in the Municipality to residents' unwillingness to change their attitudes, saying, “Even though a lot must be done by the assembly in ensuring clean environment in the municipal area, residents must also heed to the calls to change their attitude.”

He said a periodic clean-up exercise would be rolled out by the Assembly, to involve community members in the fight against poor sanitation in the municipality, to attract more investors to the area.