‘I’ll reduce unemployment if I’m elected’

The aspiring Parliamentary Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Okaikwei South, Abraham Neequaye, has promised to reduce unemployment in the Constituency by 50 percent if voted into power.

That, he explained, would be achievable by negotiating with companies within the constituency to employ 30 percent of the citizenry required by the Labour Act.

Mr Kotei made the promise at a parliamentary debate organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in collaboration with the European Union (EU) between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP), in Accra on Wednesday.

The incumbent Members of Parliament (MP) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ahmed Arthur, who was invited by the NCCE to join in the interaction, did not show up and no reason was assigned for his absence.

According to Mr Kotei, the constituency had 224 established companies which could employ more youth but successive MPs had failed to negotiate with the companies to employ them adding that “if voted into power, there will be collation of data of every youth within the constituency concerning their educational background to allow companies employ them.

“We have people with degrees, diploma, West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination and Basic Education Certificate Examination holders who are unemployed, what we intend to do is to put them into groups and negotiate with the companies to get them employed based on the Labour Act.

“I will support traders of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises by creating common fund through which money will be injected into their businesses,” Mr Kotei assured.

Touching on education, Mr Kotei reiterated that he would improve upon the free Senior High School programme by providing students with infrastructure needed to ensure delivery of quality education, as indicated in the NDC’s manifesto dubbed ‘The Big Push’.

“Co-operate Social Responsibility will strictly be adhered to towards accelerating socio-economic development of be part of the constituency apart from the common fund,” he stressed.

The Accra Metropolitan Director of the NCCE, Tetteh Wayo cautioned the youth not to allow themselves to be used to foment trouble and also urged politicians contesting the elections to refrain from utterances that would put prevailing peace under threat.

BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY AND BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY