The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of New Juaben South Municipal Assembly (NJSMA), Mr Isaac Appaw-Gyasi, has reiterated government’s commitment to reducing high unemployment rate and ensuring development in the country.
According to him, about 1,860 unemployed graduates were employed as trainees in the various modules of the Nation Builder’s Corps (NaBCo) last year with 1,234 trainees left currently, indicating that 626 of the trainees have exited with majority getting permanent jobs with the public sector or becoming entrepreneurs.
He added that NaBCo, which was one of the key initiatives of government introduced to address the teaming youth unemployment situation in the country, has brought relief to a lot of the unemployed graduates and their parents.
The MCE made these statements during a meet-the-press session held in Koforidua last Monday.
The meeting was to showcase and highlight activities of the government in the municipality and to give the media the opportunity to ask questions for clarification on the activities.
He stated that previously, there were a lot of unemployed graduates who could not find jobs, and hence had joined the unemployment association or remained idle at home, contributing to increase in social vices among others.
He lauded the initiative by government, stating that a lot of unemployed graduates who were idle have been employed, contributing to the reduction in social vices and reducing poverty, and above all the high unemployment rate in the municipality.
He assured that government would not relent in its effort to ensuring the reduction of the high unemployment rate in the country.
Speaking on infrastructural development, Mr Appaw-Gyasi revealed that the NJMA has mainly been funded by the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), Internally Generated Funds (IGF) and other donor supports.
He revealed that since 2017, about GH₵4,947,633 has been received as Common Fund to undertake development projects in the municipality.
“In 2017, we received GH₵1,980,263.22; in 2018, we received GH₵1,980,263.22; and in 2019, we received GH₵989,126.66, giving us the total amount received as common fund.”
He mentioned the construction of kindergarten block for Nsukwao M/A School, maternity wing and CHPS compound at Adweso, 20-unit lockable stores at Koforidua Zongo market, 10-seater toilet facility and borehole at Islamic School at Zongo, Apimpoa, six-unit classroom block for Oti Boateng Senior High School, concrete footbridge in the municipality, among others.
He said the commitment of the government to ensure infrastructural development was evident in the huge amounts of money put into projects to ensure development.
He added that the government was determined to deliver efficient and effective governance, in order to achieve the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.
“This is evident through the policies and programmes rolled out by the government”, he said, adding, the assembly throughout the years has committed a lot of resources to improve the lives of the people and will continue to do so.”
BY AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN, KOFORIDUA