Aggrieved 'YouStart' artisans accuse DCE, assembly for deleting their names and fixing unqualified relatives

Correspondence from Ashanti Region

Some youth artisans who enrolled in the "You-Start" program at Drobonso in the Sekyere Afram plains of the Ashanti Region have accused the District Chief Executive (DCE) of the area, Hamidu Sulemana of taking out their names from the program despite going through all the necessary procedures and subsequently qualifying the program.

They said the DCE has rather fixed names of his relatives and delegates who do not have any qualifications and have not gone through any of the procedures.

Speaking in an interview with this reporter, the disappointed youth and artisans said the DCE in his quest to deny them the YouStart support fund had brought names of delegates at the expense of them.

They lamented that their disqualifications were not given any justifiable reasons.

Further accusing him of using autocratic powers to rule the Sekyere Afram plains, the aggrieved artisans said the DCE was only interested in favouring his relatives and the delegates who may vote in his direction in the upcoming parliamentary primaries.

They further disclosed that the DCE changed one of the artisans' names to his wife's name when actually, the wife was not part of or had not acquired any artisanal skills.

"A major challenge that had crippled most of the ambitious youth who venture into skill training is how to acquire start-up equipment to begin their various trades after completing the course. With the assembly enrolling us onto this with the hope of giving us funds to start up our ventures was a sigh of relief, thus going through this training. Now that he is deleting our names and fixing unqualified and wrong persons, our hopes are lost", one of them said.

Meanwhile, some of these artisans said some officers from the Sekyere Afram Plains assembly made them pay some amount of money with the promise that they were going to be employed and sponsored with the supposed YouStart fund.

They further disclosed that with their names being deleted from the lists, they see that the funds are going to be disbursed into the wrong hands.

"We went for the training and after everything, we were given certificates. They gave us a date to come for our fund and employment but by the time we realised, they had employed a different group that was not even part of. Meanwhile, I was asked to pay Ghc500 for myself, my wife, and my daughter".

"I paid this amount before giving the assurance but we've ended up being disappointed. The money was charged with the claim that they were going to prepare the certificate in Accra. Now, they have even removed our names from the list", a man disclosed.

The report further revealed that some of these artisans will be able to receive support from their parents and other family relations, thus after graduating from the training, they would be able to acquire their start-up tools for their respective businesses.

But, some who do not get the needed support are often left to their fate, while others due to lack of support to acquire the basic equipment often fail to utilise the skills gained hence, end up being unemployed.

YouStart is a vehicle through which the government intends to provide funding and technical support to youth and youth-led businesses that fall within this category to assist them in starting, building, and growing their businesses.

"They are just trying to use some dubious means through which the money meant for us would rather be given to the delegates and the party polling agents. They have just taken out our names to help them achieve their demonic dreams. These people are influencing the delegates with our monies so that they can bring Duke as PC. They have therefore brought in some names that are not part of this exercise"

"I know a man who is not a tailor but has had his name as a tailor together with his wife. Both the man and his wife are not tailors but because they are delegates, they have been fixed into the list leading to the removal of our names from the list", a lady who gave her name as Aggie said.

Aboagyewaa Mary, a dressmaker and winner of the Ashanti Regional Green Ghana skills competition who claimed to be part of those whose names have been taken out from the program said she was shocked to see the sudden changes.

According to her, there was an urgent need for authorities to investigate these unfortunate incidents since it was affecting victims badly.

Portia Owusu who claimed to have had her name changed for the DCE's wife complained about the unfair treatment by the DCE and is therefore calling on the government and other stakeholders to intervene.