NABCO is a '419 agenda' — Joshua Akamba

The Deputy National Organiser of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joshua Hamidu Akamba, has labelled the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO), a programme launched this week by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to address Ghana’s graduate unemployment, as a scam.

Mr. Akamba, who spoke to Starr News in Bolgatanga Thursday, is among a cluster of NDC big names who have touched down in the Upper East Region for the ninth round of the party’s Unity Walk scheduled for Saturday (tomorrow).

“NABCO is a 419 agenda. It’s a scam because the NPP (New Patriotic Party) promised Ghanaians they were going to give them permanent jobs. This one — is it permanent job? Is that not scam? Is that not deceit to Ghanaians? You said in one year, Ghanaians would have good jobs, working in factories, working in companies, one million dollars would hit our constituencies and graduates would get jobs. That is what gave Ghanaians the confidence to vote the NPP in,” said the Deputy National Organiser.

Government’s introduction of NABCO has been greeted with a nationwide threat of mass demonstration by jobless nurses who do not want to be enrolled under the programme, citing job insecurity and unfair pay structure among other reasons for rejecting the offer. But a mad rush by some unemployed graduates for NABCO application forms is also reported to have hit some parts of the country.

“The NPP have decided that they will take Ghanaians for fools. Go and ask Nana Akufo-Addo how much he is paid [and see] whether he would like to say it. Go and ask him how many allowances he takes [and see] whether he would like to say it. Graduates that you want to employ, you’ve already put their pay together and mentioned that they are collecting GHC700.

“Imagine that early in the morning, you dress up and you are going to work as a graduate; every little kid in the street knows that you are going to be paid GHC700. Is it not a shame? Who in this country wants his pay to be known? It’s nasty. You cannot embarrass people, play with their minds and take them for granted. They lied to Ghanaians and succeeded. They didn’t suffer for power. If they had suffered for it, they wouldn’t be handling Ghanaians this way,” added Mr. Akamba.

Mahama to address religious leaders in Upper East

Preparations are underway in the regional capital, Bolgatanga, for a Saturday that will not just be about a Unity Walk but also a ‘Recovery Talk’.



Big-brand cars not usually seen on the roads of the capital have been moving everywhere in their numbers since Wednesday ahead of the arrival of former President John Dramani Mahama Friday afternoon.

Details of the mass walk and of the itinerary of the former president are being announced and jingled on radio waves to the public. John Mahama, according to the party’s regional executives, is scheduled to have a meeting with some religious leaders at the Akayet Hotel in the regional capital.

“We’ve just finished the last major meeting about 30 minutes ago,” said the Upper East Regional NDC Secretary, Donatus Akamugri. He will arrive on Friday around 2:00pm. He is to pay courtesy call on Tindomolgo Tindana (traditional landowner of Tindomolgo). Then, he will proceed to the Zuarungu Chief Palace to pay courtesy call. He will get back to town and pay courtesy call on the Regional Chief Imam. Then, he will go the Bishop Secretariat and pay courtesy call on the clergy. Then, he will proceed to Akayet Hotel where he will be interacting with other religious leaders.”

A Rally of Speeches to be held at Ramsey Stadium

Organisers of the event say the walk will end with a rally of speeches at the Ramsey Stadium in Bolgatanga, known previously as the Saint John’s Park.

The same venue, where the speeches are expected to be delivered, is where the Unity Walk will begin at 6:00am.

“We will begin from Ramsey Sports Stadium. And then we’ll hit the road at the SSNIT Junction, go down the double lane to the Old Goil Roundabout. Then, we’ll move straight to the Fire Service Junction. From there we’ll turn to the Bongo Road towards the Bolgatanga Stadium.

“Then, we’ll move up to Soe and through the road leading to the Regional Hospital. We’ll turn from there, go through the Hospital Roundabout and descend to go back to the Ramsey Sports Stadium for the speeches to be delivered. Police have been properly informed. We have written to them for a long time and they have put in necessary measures to ensure that the programme is successful,” Mr. Akamugri told Starr News.