Professor Charles Ofosu Marfo, Provost of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CoHSS) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has criticized the recent government initiatives targeting female porters, popularly known as Kayayes, in Accra.
The former President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) advised Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to reconsider the allocation of state resources aimed at developing facilities for Kayayes in Accra.
Speaking on a panel discussion on Oyerepa TV on June 20, 2024, he argued that such projects, including the construction of hostels and training programs, encourage rural-urban migration, contrary to the nation's goals of curbing this trend.
He stated that providing incentives for people to remain in their home regions would be more effective than building facilities in Accra.
“I believe it is a retrogressive measure; such initiatives always set us back because we aim to stop rural-urban migration. In an attempt to do that, you don't build an edifice in Accra you would only be calling them to come to Accra.
“This is a common economic indicator... One would have thought that they would be given incentives to stay back. So, if you build hostels and train those coming to Accra, and give them money to work, who is going to ensure that after six months they won’t leave Accra and return to the North? and if all of them leave, no one would be here,” he said.
He emphasized that the focus should shift towards enhancing infrastructure and opportunities in the Ashanti region, which is a stronghold for the New Patriotic Party (NPP). This, he believes, would be a strategic move for Dr. Bawumia, who doubles as the NPP flagbearer for the 2024 elections.
"For me, they should stop building for the Kayayes in Accra and instead build the Suame Interchange. They should halt all these projects and construct something significant, especially in their stronghold like the Ashanti region,” he added.
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Recently, Vice President Bawumia inaugurated a state-of-the-art hostel facility for female porters, primarily from the northern parts of Ghana.
The initiative also included training and education sessions aimed at equipping these women with essential survival skills.
The first batch of beneficiaries has already graduated and received startup capital to launch their businesses.
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