NDC Manifesto: We’ll create ministry for youth dev't - Ras Mubarak

Member of Parliament for Kumbungu Constituency on the ticket of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Ras Mubarak has assured the Ghanaian populace that the NDC 2020 manifesto has a lot of hope for the youth.

According to him, a critical aspect of the NDC's manifesto which has the youth at heart, will be the creation of a dedicated Ministry for Youth Development which will be different from the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

“There is hope for the youth in the NDC 2020 Manifesto. The landmark thing we are doing in the area of youth development is that the ministry responsible for the youth is the Ministry of Youth and Sports but when we get lucky and win power in the 2020 elections, President Mahama will create a Ministry dedicated to Youth Development”, he stated.

Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Hon Ras Mubarak said that the Ministry of Youth and Sports, since time immemorial has devoted 80 percent of its budget to sports activities and the remaining 20 percent to other youth programmes.

This tradition, he said, has not inured to the benefit of the youth, denying them the opportunity to reach far in the journey of life; hence, the decision of the next NDC government to create a dedicated Ministry for youth development.

Citing Canada as an example, the Kumbungu lawmaker revealed that due to the seriousness the country attaches to youth development, the Prime Minister has been made the Minister for Youth Affairs.

“Traditionally, the majority of the Youth and Sports Ministry's budget is channeled into football and other sporting activities. The allocation for youth development is not enough and if you continue to keep youth development at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, that is what you would get...

“If you look at employment figures in Canada on youth areas, because they have attached that seriousness to youth development and set up a separate ministry for the Youth Affairs, employment figures are low. So, that is the first big thing as far as the NDC 2020 manifesto on youth people is concerned...

“This is the manifesto that has something for the many and not the few. The thing is whether you went to school, skilled or unskilled person, there is something in the manifesto for you. The law that we are going to scrap on the importation of salvage vehicles, the youths stand to benefit from it more than any group of people. If you go to Kumasi Magazine, and Kokompe in Accra, the majority of people in the auto-mechanic business are youth; they fall between the ages of 15 and about 35, and repealing that law does not come with any cost,” he indicated.

Another youth program in the NDC manifesto, according to Hon. Ras Mubarak, is the regularisation of Okada business which will offer job opportunities to 2 million youths across the country.

“Okada business alone will produce 2 million jobs to young people and it will not cost the nation money to repeal the law. We have a big vision for the youth in the area of ICT; President Mahama wants to transform Ghana using ICT. We will provide a lot of funds to select in every region top 5 young people and train them in ICT,” he said.