Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
The Akufo-Addo administration has given financial clearance for about 145,000 public sector workers to be recruited.
The move forms part of efforts by the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) to address the high unemployment in the country caused by the mismanagement of the country’s economy by the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration over the last eight years.
Information Minister-designate, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, made the announcement yesterday at a press conference in Accra.
He stated: “As the Akufo-Addo administration has consistently said the first priority of government has been to revive the Ghanaian economy, and return it to a stable footing from the crisis of 2016. To this end, we have spent the first one and half years restoring macro stability, a fact which all economic observers now attest to.
“The government will continue with the next step which is to deepen its job creation initiatives both in the private and public sectors. And on the public sector side, I have a quick update for you. Financial clearance has been given for over 145,000 jobs as part of these efforts.”
Breakdown
Giving the breakdown of the jobs, Mr Oppong-Nkrumah said 24,000 health workers, over 9,500 educational workers, 4,000 police personnel, 3,500 other security agents, 2,700 agric extension workers, about 1,049 local government workers, 20,000 afforestation personnel, and approximately 100,000 personnel for the Nation Builders Corp (NABco) would be employed.
The minister indicated that about GH¢600 million had been allocated to NABCo in 2019 budget and that about 90,000 NABco workers had received their appointment letters, with the remaining 10,000 expected to receive theirs in due course.
The president, he said, is expected to commission them to start work by the end of this October.
According to him, all 145,000 personnel are expected to be at post by the end of 2018, adding that government would do everything possible to meet their financial needs.
Unemployment Not Over
“Even though 145,000 is a very significant number, the extent of the unemployment challenge within the last eight years means that more people are still looking for jobs out there.
“Government is cognizant of that, and government will continue with actions that are aimed at creating more opportunities for them, even as we improve economic conditions and government finances,” he indicated.
He further stated that government would continue with its programmes such as the One District, One Factory (1D1F) to create more jobs in the private sector.
By Melvin Tarlue