Job Creation Takes Center Stage at Ahafo Ano South East Parliamentary Dialogue.

Ahafo-Ano South East: Job creation for the teeming youth in the Ahafo-Ano South East Constituency is a key issue in the race for the parliamentary seat. As the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) battle for the seat, their candidates are both promising to create jobs for young people in the constituency. They shared their vision to address unemployment among the youth at a parliamentary candidates' dialogue organised by the District Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) at Sabronum.According to Ghana News Agency, the dialogue sought to provide a platform for the candidates to share their vision with voters to enable them to make an informed choice on December 7. The discussions focused on matters of concern for voters, including education, health, agriculture, employment, roads, and infrastructure, which emerged as key issues of concern to voters in research conducted by the NCCE. Mr Frederick Acheampong, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate, pledged his c ommitment to create more jobs as a strategy to combat illegal mining in the constituency. He said creating decent job opportunities for young people was the panacea to the wanton destruction of the environment through illegal mining and reiterated his commitment to that cause.Mr. Acheampong stated he would make maximum use of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) equipment to improve the road network in the constituency if he becomes the Member of Parliament (MP). Meanwhile, Mr Yakubu Mohammed, the NDC Candidate, also announced his intention to establish a tomato factory in the constituency to create jobs for the youth when given the nod. This, he believes, would not only create jobs for the youth but also boost the local economy considering the indirect impact it would have on other segments of the population, including farmers and drivers. He also spoke about his plans to invest in agriculture, which is the mainstay of the economy, to improve the livelihoods of farmers in the constituency.Mr. M athias Oppong, the NCCE District Director, used the occasion to caution the public against the defacing of posters, which was rampant in the constituency. He reminded perpetrators that the practice constituted an offence punishable by law and urged such people to quit in their own interest. He applauded the two candidates for their participation in the exercise, saying that it was the way to go to deepen participatory democracy. Nana Kofi Asante Barima I, the Paramount Chief of Sabronum, who chaired the event, commended the NCCE for facilitating the dialogue. He said it was refreshing for the candidates to interact with the people whose mandate they were seeking and called for peace throughout the election.