Mahama Slams Government for High Unemployment Rate in Ghana

Former President John Dramani Mahama has criticized the current government for the high unemployment rate in Ghana. According to him, the government has failed the nation on several fronts, leading to Ghana’s worst state of unemployment in recent memory. He cited records from the Ghana Statistical Service to support his claim.

Mahama added that the burden of an expanding population falls on government workers, including teachers, health workers, civil servants, and security personnel, who have to work extra hours to meet demands. This, he said, sadly deprives their families of their presence at home.

The former president stated that the government must do more to create job opportunities for the youth and secure the investments of retirees. He accused the government of reckless mismanagement of the economy, leading to the collapse of businesses, including Ghanaian-owned banks.

In his statement to mark the May Day celebration on Monday, May 1, Mahama emphasized that the country cannot continue on this disastrous path. He called for a change in the approach to addressing the issue of unemployment in the country.

Mahama, who is also the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, urged the government to prioritize job creation and invest in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and technology to provide sustainable employment opportunities for the youth.

For the most part, the issue of unemployment in Ghana has been a persistent challenge over the years. The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated the situation, with many businesses shutting down and job losses recorded in various sectors. The government has, however, launched several initiatives such as the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) and the Youth Entrepreneurship Support (YES) program to address the issue.

Below is his full statement…

Happy May Day to all!

Today, I celebrate all workers’ industry, innovation, and agency and commend you sincerely for holding the ship of state afloat.

According to the Ghana Statistical Service, the government continues to fail the nation on several fronts, leading to Ghana’s worst state of unemployment in recent memory.

This being the case, government workers – teachers, health workers, civil servants, and security personnel – continue to shoulder the additional burden of an expanding population.

This desperate state of unemployment comes with extra demands on the time and energy of existing workers and sadly deprives their families of their presence at home.

The truth, however, is that our nation cannot continue this disastrous path; a path where government deprives the youth of opportunities to work and refuses to secure the investments of retirees because of its reckless mismanagement of the economy leading to the collapse of businesses including Ghanaian-owned banks

This is why I have on several occasions called for an open and frank national dialogue on the true state of Ghana’s economy. I do so with the hope that we can share ideas and build consensus on the way forward for our common good.

It is also why I keep urging the International Monetary Fund to bail out the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia administration to inject capital, credibility, and prudence into the management of Ghana’s economy. If the Fund does not act urgently, the government would struggle to meet its responsibility of paying workers.

The situation of our teeming unemployed youth is exacerbated by the government’s inability and unwillingness to pay crucial social protection funds such as LEAP, GETFund, NHIL, and DACF.

Today, as we celebrate May Day and painfully sail through these stormy times with courage, I will continue to urge you, our gallant workers across the country, to hope for a better future – a future that will protect the investments of retirees, restore and revamp collapsed businesses and banks, create genuine jobs and ensure that our statutory vehicles that offer protection to the vulnerable in society are not cruelly starved of funds.

You are the backbone of our country, and you epitomize the Black Star of hope and honour, so proudly extolled in our national anthem. It is your steadfastness and dedicated service to our dear nation that has kept us afloat amid our present economic turbulence.

I salute you, Ghanaian Workers, for inspiring us to be resolute and work toward Building the Ghana we want Together.

Happy May Day!