We’ll equalise our pain by voting against you in 2024 – NABCO trainees to gov’t

The Coalition of NABCO Beneficiaries has issued a stern warning of its intention to respond to the hardships it has endured under the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) by massively voting against the party in the upcoming 2024 general elections.

The coalition, comprising approximately 65,000 beneficiaries, has asserted its readiness to cast its votes against the NPP in the next election cycle.

In response to the launch of the YouStart programme, aimed at assisting former beneficiaries of the now-defunct Nation Builders’ Corp (NABCO), Mr Frank Evans Quansah, the Secretary of the coalition, expressed dissatisfaction in an interview on Accra 100.5 FM’s mid-day news on Monday, December 4, 2023.

Mr Quansah emphasised that the government's failure to disburse eleven months' allowance has caused significant distress to members of the coalition.

He highlighted that despite the Finance Minister's promise in the 2022 budget to settle the 11 months' arrears, the commitment remains unfulfilled.

Furthermore, Mr Quansah labelled the YouStart programme as a scam and disclosed that not a single member of the coalition has enrolled in the initiative.

He accused the programme of being exploited by party sympathisers as a means to plunder state funds.

The government launched the YouStart Ghana Jobs and Skills Application portal on November 14, 2022, to receive applications for a GH₵1 billion entrepreneurship fund.

YouStart aims to support young entrepreneurs by providing access to capital, training, technical skills, and other resources for business development.

Targeting individuals between 18-35 years with viable business ideas, the programme is funded by proceeds from the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).

Despite the government's efforts to address youth unemployment and foster entrepreneurship through YouStart, the Coalition of NABCO Beneficiaries remains dissatisfied and resolute in its stance against the NPP in the upcoming elections.