Mahama to government: Urgently address youth unemployment, so they aren’t recruited by terrorist groups
According to former president John Mahama, the government has not demonstrated sufficient commitment to solving the issue of youth unemployment in the nation.
That could threaten the current state of calm in Ghana, according to Mr. Mahama, and is a question of national security.
He encouraged the administration to address the problem immediately as a result.
Speaking as a distinguished guest of honor at Liberty University’s 2022 Convocation in Michigan, the United States, Mr. Mahama said that if this is not done, the youth will be drawn to activities that are unfavorable to the nation.
“Government owes it as a responsibility to do all they can to secure the peace and safety of the nation, but above all to reduce youth unemployment.
This is necessary to ensure that the young people do not become easily recruited to fill the ranks of the insurgence due to frustration and lack of opportunity”, he said.
This is essential to prevent young people from being readily recruited to join the insurgence due to dissatisfaction and a lack of opportunities, the speaker said.
The 2020 presidential candidate for the NDC also denounced Boko Haram’s actions in the area.
He argued that if possibilities are not made available to the youth, they have a possibility of being recruited.
“Ghana is an Island of religious calmness in a sea of turbulence as almost all our surrounding neighbours have in recent times experienced some major form of insurgency, coup d’états or other conflicts, including religious conflicts.”“In all these acts, one thing is clear, leadership at all levels including the family, the school, the church, government all have the responsibility to educate and inform the impress young members of our society about the imminent threats and dangers out there”, he insisted.
