Amanda Atunah -The Centre Shakes

Making the right choices keeps us moving forward in life. We all had dreams as kids, and some of them are still sealed and waiting to be discovered. When we were young, we all had dreams of the finest things in life. Today's youth are most likely to respond that they want to become Doctors, Nurses, or Attorneys when asked what they want to accomplish with their lives in the near future.

Many of these children eventually grew and gave up on their ambitions. Most likely because of unanticipated bad leadership and corruption. The ambitions changed along the way and parents couldn't afford to support them in their respective careers. As such, they had to give up on school. These are kids who were brilliant way back. The system is such that it is only good at frustrating people.

Some people, however, decided to go back to school for a long time. This is to say that the Primary Education which lasts for six years, followed by three years in Junior High and three more in the Senior High Level. Approximately, 4 to 7 year period, depending on the Tertiary Programme you choose after Completing the SHS. The aforementioned is a picture of our educational cycle so to speak. Imagine being out of work for God knows how long and you live in a state of penury. You travel from one place to another in search of job but all to no avail.

Graduates continue to hunt for work at various entities but some ladies allegedly get offers after paying in kind. A time will come, when some of these kind payment wouldn’t go through owing to IMF and E-Levy. You don’t subject the citizenry to this fate and expect them to endure. Interesting time ahead in deed. You serve the government for a year and can’t even boast of a ceiling fan. Besides, the usual “alawa” doesn’t even come and it comes as though a bar man pouring local wine in tots. Government continues to frustrate young graduates after finishing their national service.

The Unemployed Association wouldn't exist if things were cosy. We claim that Ghana isn’t poor yet drivers can’t buy fuel. We claim that times are good yet we can’t even buy kenkey and fish to our satisfaction. We claim that corruption is a thing of the past yet our monies are going down the drain owing to corruption. We claim that we will protect the public purse yet the purse has been left opened. We claim that we have a solid Economic Management Team yet plans are far advanced for Ghana to go to IMF. You guys are bunch of shameless people. Our country has suffered enough in the hands of politicians.

You can be NDC or NPP but truth is you have all failed Ghanaians. Besides, with the requisite knowledge and abilities to boost the economy, various Universities churned out competent graduates but it will interest you to know that, they don’t get employed. At what point in time did we arrive here?

It has never seemed like unemployment is worst owing to wicked politicians who only think of themselves and families. No wonder nature has a nice way of punishing you after your looting expedition. When we assumed NABCO personnel would eventually secure permanent employment it turned out as a mere fallacy. Does that mean our politicians have water stuck in their big skulls? It is sad to note that some employees went without pay for a whole year while they were actively working and we intend to build a Cathedral. This is misplaced priority and gross insensitivity to say the least. Even monkeys understand the value in sharing and I implore our politicians to get to the zoo and learn.

We are quick to make promises that we cannot honour and expect workers and students to survive anyway.This compels individuals to take out loans from friends and families in order to survive. As Former President Kufuor hinted in the local direct some time back, he said “Besea a yɛde yɛ mpuntu ndwuma deɛ ɛyɛ nanso ebi bɔbi de we nam ɛno na ɛnyɛ” Such a wise President who spoke truth to power not these current crop of politicians who only think of their stomach even at old age.

Another point worth mentioning is that some Graduate make only GHC700 and live in places where their yearly house rent is GHC48,000. Some landlords also take undue advantage of the system to exploit tenants by way of taking two years advance or even more. So the newly-employed is seen working but the money is taken away the very moment it hits the account yet the government does nothing to improve living conditions. I for one wouldn’t demonstrate because I am a wise person. How should I go fight for a politician? Who said “tweaa?

Moreover, the youths intend to get married and wean themselves off parents’ assistance and support in order to start families of their own after graduating from University. However, majority continues to live in a state of delusion. The usual response is no longer Friday we are outside, but rather "men dey hustle". If you ask someone on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, you will get different difficulty perspectives. Other graduates are looking for low-paying jobs to make ends meet to at least be able to afford “gɔbɛ” but their efforts had proved futile owing to mismanagement on the part of government. When will they understand the reality and work towards putting in mechanisms that will assuage suffering of flood victims, graduates, teachers, nurses and the ordinary Ghanaian?

The hard truth is they only eat with us during the build up to the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections. One of their political gimmicks you know? We need honest politicians who can resign when they fail to honour their promises and avail themselves to face the firing squad. That way, it will deter corrupt politicians from engaging in this menace. Until such a time like that, many will follow politicians to demonstrate and will end up losing an eye or two and eventually die. Wise up. Don’t fight for the politicians. If they want you demonstrate ask them to bring their children to lead the protest. “Bɛ gyimi bre no ɛtwam”.

The current Ghana's National Employment Motto (GNEM) is "Who knows you?" Who is familiar enough with you to recruit you? Even then, there would be a price. Some ladies are allegedly being slept with and their male counterparts on the other hand, are made to pay money before getting a job. In some cases, it is alleged that some women at the helm of affairs also enjoy the hydraulic oil of young male graduates before landing them job opportunities. Building a nation with scandal, vindictiveness and promiscuity.

So I say again, Hmmm!! When did we arrive here?

Amanda Atunah, is the 2022 CSA Student Online Journalist of the Year and a Student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism(GIJ)