We have over 60 achievements, where is yours? – NPP taunts NDC

The youth wing of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken on the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), claiming it is out of touch with reality, while questioning its record on youth development.

In a statement, it listed 60 items that were described as achievements of the Akufo-Addo administration and challenged the NDC to do same under the John Mahama Administration.

Speaking at a press conference, the National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B said: “The NPP Youth is giving the National Youth Wing and the Communications Outfit of the NDC a one-week ultimatum to tell the Ghanaian Youth, specific Youth-focused policies and programs that they implemented in their 8years administration and the impact it had in the lives of the youth of Ghana.”

“The policies of President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia that have had far-reaching benefits to the youth are over a hundred. But for strategic reasons, I will list 60 of them,” he said.

Nana B at the press conference dubbed: “The Youth Must Know Series” listed the following as some of the government’s achievements:

1. One District One Factory: over 58 factories out of the 181 under the 1D1F initiative have been completed and operationalized

2. NABCO: 100,000 young persons have been employed

3. Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has employed over 70,000 young people

4. YEA’s Job Center platform, Region Flagship Projects and the Artisan Directory has enabled thousands of young people across the country to secure sustainable jobs in the short to medium term.

5. Financial Support to one thousand athletes – a monthly stipend of Ghc500.00 to be paid to 1,000 athletes for a period of six (6) months.

6. Recruitment of 8,872 Teachers

7. Recruitment of 1,445 Non-Teaching Staff

8. Recruitment of 7,700 youth under Educational Support Programme under GES and YEA

9. Recruitment of 54,000 Nurses

10. Recruitment of 18,000 Other Health Workers

11. Recruitment of 1,174 Environmental Health Officers/ Assistants:

12. Recruitment of 2,700 Extension Officers

13. Recruitment of over 12,000 Security Personnel

14. Investment and Jobs under Ghana Automotive Development Policy – Volkswagen has commenced assembling cars in Ghana, Toyota, Nissan, Renault, Hyundai, Sinotruck and Suzuki to start very soon.

15. Hundred and five thousand three hundred and fifty (105,350) Job Creation in Cocoa

16. Eighty-Three Thousand (83.000) youth employed By Forestry Commission

17. Twelve thousand (12,000) start-ups and small business trained, 3,000 provided with funding to expand their businesses in order to create jobs under the Presidential Business Support Programme

18. Presidential Pitch: 40 young persons given financial support, 460 jobs created.

19. Equipping the Youth with Entrepreneurial Skills under NEIP – NEIP has trained 45,000 youth in Agricbusines, ICT, Trade and Commerce

20. Funding of Young Entrepreneurs under NEIP: A total of 9,350 businesses have been funded within 3 years

21. Campus Business Pitch Programme: building the entrepreneurship culture among students with the intention of catching them young to contribute meaningfully to the Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda.

22. Rural Enterprise Programme (REP): A total of 3,833 new rural businesses were established whilst 4,727 direct jobs were created.

23. Green Business Initiative: 75 Greenhouses (Domes), 1,500 young graduates engaged.

24. Jobs under Incubation and Support Programme at Accra Digital Center: 150 start-ups supported, additional 200 ancillary jobs created.

25. Technology Transfer, Research and Product Development Programme (TTRPDP)

26. Technical and Vocational Skills Training – trained 11,662 persons in various vocational trades.

27. Jobs under Labour Department 2,250 persons in gainful employment

28. 1,438 Jobs under National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI)

29. Planting for Food and Jobs – 1.9 million people including the Ghanaian Youth have benefited from this program.

30. Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) – The programme aims to promote the export of tree crops including cashew, coffee, coconut, oil palm, mango, rubber and sheanut to increase export earnings. The youth of Ghana are beneficiaries of this novelty.

31. Aquaculture for Food and Jobs (AFJ): 321 youths trained in modern methods of aquaculture production. Over 1,200 direct jobs and 1,800 indirect jobs projected in 2020

32. Jobs at Fish Landing Sites: To ensure safe launching and landing of artisanal fishing, create and maintain hygienic environments and create potential job opportunities within the fishing communities

33. Free Basic Education Certificate Examination: Government absorbed the registration fees for 391,318 candidates from public Junior High Schools and 397,500 candidates from Public JHSs in 2020.

34. Free West African Senior School Certificate Examination: Ghc75 million used to pay for the WASSCE examination fees of the 313,838 students – the soon to be “Akufo-Addo Graduates”.

35. Free Learning Materials: By virtue of Free SHS, learning materials like core textbooks, supplementary readers, uniforms, house-cloths, house-dress, technical drawing equipment, PE kits, notebooks and exercise books are being supplied for free since 2017.

36. Double Track System – 520,000 Ghanaian Children get access to SHS

37. Unprecedented Infrastructure Projects in SHS and Basic Schools – 1,200 infrastructural projects in SHS and 557 at the basic.

38. Library Infrastrature Development for Academic Excellence: The construction of 2 libraries and renovation 10 existing libraries, including the Accra Central, Asokore and Hohoe libraries

39. The construction and establishment of Ten (10) Training Centres of Excellence for the Council for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (COTVET)

40. Restoration of Teacher Trainees Allowance: In 2020 fiscal year alone, Ghc357 million is being paid to 48,000 Teacher Trainees.

41. Restoration of Nursing Trainees Allowance: In 2020 fiscal year alone, Ghc336 million is being paid to 49,000 Nursing Trainees.

42. Scholarships for the youth: In 2019 alone, over 30,000 brilliant but needed students were given scholarship through the District Level Scholarship Scheme. It is projected that 60,000 students will be given scholarship in 2020.

43. Over 20,000 students trained under the Student Entrepreneurial Initiative rolled out by NEIP.

45. Enhanced Professional Image of Teachers through the introduction of Licensure Examination

46. Professional Allowance For Teachers: From this year, every Teacher will be paid Ghc1,200 annually as Professional Allowance.

47. Timely Payment of Salaries of Newly Recruited Teachers

48. Abolishment of Three (3) months Salary Pay Policy

50. Enhanced Teacher Motivation Package: In 2019 government disbursed GH¢52.6 million to SHSs and technical institutions for academic interventions and teacher motivation.

51. Restoration of Book and Research Allowance and a Bill in parliament to provide secure and reliable funding.

52. The curricula of Colleges of Education has been updated to ensure they produce graduates that would teach the well-equipped and critical thinking population we need to move the country forward

53. Construction of 10 ultra-modern and multi-purpose youth centers, with five thousand capacity, across the country by NYA.

54. The construction of astro-turf by the Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development across the country

55. Free water for all Ghanaians for 3 months (April, May and June).

56. Free Electricity for lifeline customers and 50% discount for other customers for 3 months (April, May and June).

57. Six Hundred Million Ghana Cedis (Ghc600 million) Coronavirus Alleviation Program Business Support Scheme for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

58. Tax exemptions for 6 months for Front-line Workers.

59. Additional allowance of 50% of their basic salaries for 6 months for Front-line Workers.

60. Almighty Free SHS: 1.2 million children benefiting from Free SHS