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Youth-Unemployment-Causing-Recurring-Political-Violence -In-Banda, Youth

Youth in Banda-Ahenkro in the Banda District of the Bono region have called on government to consider making Technical Educational Institutions “Free”  to attract the youthful groups to take programs that would equip them with skills to create jobs for themselves.

According to them, youth unemployment in the country, particularly in the Banda-Ahenkro District was the root cause of recurring political violence in the area. 

Because the youth in Banda are not employed, politicians easily lures them for activities of their selfish political gains all the time and that was threatening peace and security in the District.

Mr. Jerry Sito, Assembly member for Ahenkro West electoral area explained if government make Technical Universities, Technical/Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as well as Vocational and Technical Colleges (VOTECs) free as the Senior High Schools would contributes immensely to solving the unemployment problem in Ghana.

This was at a Town-hall meeting held in Banda-Ahenkro on Thursday, organized by the National Security in collaboration with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).

It was on violence extremism and chaos prevention to sustain national peace and coexistence of Ghanaians.

The meeting attended by youth groups of Banda-Ahenkro and its environs, Assembly members and Traditional rullers  was the second phase of a “Youth Activist Workshop” project undertaken nationwide in Boarder Districts.

Mr. Sito attributed it was lack of jobs that many youth blindly follow politics and some engage in activities of violence extremism when enticed with little amount of money. 

He further explained making such educational institutions free would increase their enrollment and many students would acquire knowledge, ability and the Technical know-how to create their own jobs and employ many others after completion.

That would drastically reduce graduates unemployment and dependency on government.
Mr. Ibrahim Shaibu, who represented the Muslim community in Banda-Ahenkro bemoaned that activities of occultism shown on television sets was a great contributor to the alarming rate of ritual killings in the country.

In a related development, Miss Habiba Mohamed, a resident expressed worried about the increasing involvement of very young children in such cruel ritual killings practices and money doubling activities, saying, such young ones may not have knowledge about those activities but, because it was shown on television, they practices blindly in the name of making worth.

In that regard, she pleaded with government and the National Communications Authority to as matter of urgent abolish such shows in the media space to reduce the prevalence of immoral practices and others threatening security of the country.

Mr. Peter Gyasi, the deputy Bono regional Director, NCCE in earlier welcome address took participants through grievances handling and Alternative Dispute Resolution to avoid conflict that may result violence.

Warrant Officer I (WOI) Rtd Paul Adjei-Darkwah who represented the Bono Regional Security Coordinator urged parents and guardian to strictly monitor activities and movements of the children at home.

He added acts of violence extremism were mostly found among the young people, therefore, parents and landlords can easily detects strange behaviors and take the responsibility to report them to security agencies when keep eyes on their wards and tenants in the same house.

WOI Adjei-Darkwah pleadd landlords to be inquisitive about unusual and strange activities of tenants and when giving them accomodations. 

According to Mr. Robert Ewur, head of the NCCE’s internal audit, Accra, Article 41(c) of the 1992 Constitution stated it was the duty of every citizen to foster national unity, hence, the need for all to take responsibility of whatever happens in the environment to ensure peace and harmony at all times. 

Credit: Christopher Tetteh, Banda District