Isaac Kwame Asiamah, Minister for Youth and Sports
The Minister for Youth and Sports who is the Member of Parliament for Atwima Mponua constituency in the Asanti Region, Hon Isaac Kwame Asiamah, has disclosed that Ghana government under President Nana Addo's administration will build a Multi-Purpose Youth Center in Ellembelle District of the Western Region.
Hon Isaac Asiamah made this known on Monday, October 2017 on the 1st day of his 2-day official tour of the Western Region when he interacted with the chiefs and people of Atuabo in the Ellembelle District.
Hon Asiamah expressed his profound appreciation to the chiefs and people of the area for voting massively for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2016 general elections.
He also thanked the chiefs and people for the support given to former President Kufour during the exploration of crude oil in 2017 on commercial quantities.
"Nzema is blessed to have oil and gas which is helping Ghana's economy", he admonished.
Hon Isaac Asiamah expressed worries over the increasing unemployment rate in the country.
He therefore, called on Ghanaians to help tackle the youth unemployment situation in the country.
The Youth and Sports Minister revealed that gone were the days, the ministry only concentrated on sporting activities but with President Nana Addo's administration, the ministry will tackle the youth unemployment situation in the country.
He hinted that under his ministry, government was going to establish Multi-Purpose Youth Centers across the country through sports, as a way to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the country.
The Minister said, government was going start establishing the centers with Ellembelle District which will kick start this year.
He used the occasion to explain the project to the people indicating that when completed it will give Modern Pitch, Counselling Centet and Multi-Purpose Court.
With the Multi-Purpose Court, the Minister said its will host about 10 sports disciplines.
He appealed to Eastern Nzema Traditional Council to support the project and therefore release land for the commencement of the project.
Hon Asiamah in an interview with Ghanaweb's Western Regional CorresponKaku, Daniel Kaku, stressed on the need for youth development and employment, as one key area, he would tackle.
"Youth employment is key, in a nation's growth and there is the need for the youth to have a common body to fight for a better future.
"We need to provide sports infrastructure and also develop our youth centers, so that all manner of youth programs could be formulated to help our future leaders.
"Unskilled youth is a major challenge confronting the nation and it's an area the ministry is bent on tackling.
The President has told all of us that whatever project we embark on should have that element of job creation. But some of the youth are also unemployable because they lack the skills. So skills development is very important and I am working with the Youth Employment Agency to come up with innovations to train people.
Last three months or so we were in Kumasi to launch a national programme for skills development and we are targeting the unskilled youth for training and this will be replicated in other districts.
Our target is that by 2020 we should have trained about 50,000 young people in various trades and vocations".
On the part of Eastern Nzema Traditional Council, the Paramount Chief of the area, Awulea Amhire Kpanyinli III, thanked the Youth and Sports Minister, Hon Isaac Asiamah, for visiting the Traditional Council and for that matter, Ellembelle District to explain government programmes to them.
Awulea pledged his support to the Minister to release land for the project if the ministry is ready for the construction.
He used the opportunity to appealed to the Minister to support sporting activities in the District.
He called on government to take Physical Education subject seriously in the various schools.
He revealed that obesity is posing serious threat to the people in the District as a result of people not doing regular exercise.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ellembelle District, Hon Kwasi Bonzo also thanked the Minister for the visit to the District.
He also expressed his profound gratitude to the chiefs and people of the area for the support they have shown to the Minister and his entourage.
Hon. Kwasi Bonzo revealed that the District was going to support the facility before, during and after completion.
He said when the facility is completed, it will create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the District.
"During the construction of the project, the local artisans are going to be employed", he assured.
He therefore urged the chiefs and people of the area to rally behind the NPP administration led by His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the government has started enrolling its flagship programmes.
The Youth and Sports Minister, Hon Isaac Kwame Asiamah, was accompanied by staff of National Youth Authority, staff of Youth and Sports Ministry, Ellembelle DCE, Hon Kwasi Bonzo, Ellembelle NPP Constituency Executives and supporters and among others.
