NaBCo: Stop your doomsaying; wish us well – Oppong-Nkrumah to NDC

Information Minister-designate, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has urged the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to be constructive in their criticism of the Akufo-Addo government and stop being doomsayers as far as the government’s programmes and policies are concerned.

Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah was responding to predictions by the Minority MP for Wa Central, Dr. Rashid Pelpuo that the Nation Builders Corps (NaBCo) programme, which has provided 100,000 jobs for unemployed graduate youth in the country, will face challenges and eventually collapse.

President Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, 17 October 2018, commissioned the 100,000 beneficiaries who will be placed under seven modules including Feed Ghana, Educate Ghana, Revenue Ghana, Heal Ghana, Enterprise Ghana, Digitise Ghana and Governance Ghana.

Contributing to Accra-based Citi TV’s news analysis programme on Thursday, 18 October 2018, Dr. Pelpuo described the NaBCo initiative as a “dishonest approach to job creation”.

The government, he said, “has failed in creating jobs”, adding: “NaBCo is a duplication of the already existing YEA programme”.

“It will soon be hit with difficulties and will fail”, Mr. Pelpuo predicted.

In a rebuttal, however, Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah, also an MP, urged his fellow lawmaker, in particular, and the Minority Caucus in general, to focus on the well-being of Ghanaians rather than their selfish interest.

“We expect the Minority to encourage us and provide constructive criticism in implementing our major campaign promises and interventions but not wish our downfall,” he said.

Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah said NaBCo is a unique concept because it includes skills training for graduates.

The Ofoase Ayirebi MP said the Akufo-Addo government is dealing with the unemployment menace it inherited from the Mahama administration of the NDC while complementing the efforts of the private sector, with stimulus packages to create more jobs.