By Issah Olegor
The Abirem Constituency Youth Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of misleading Ghanaian young people with what it describes as exaggerated claims about the implementation of the party’s youth manifesto promises.
According to the NPP youth wing, claims that the NDC has fulfilled its entire Youth Manifesto within its first year in office do not correspond with what has actually been delivered on the ground.
Malik Basintale, NDC Deputy National Communication Officer and Chief Executive of Youth Employment Agency, YEA, had claimed that the party has fulfilled its promised of job creation to Ghanaian youth in first year in office,
However the group argues that several major commitments made to the youth remain outstanding despite the government having spent significantly more time in office.
At the centre of the criticism is the NDC’s flagship 24-Hour Economy, particularly the proposed 1:3:3 model, which was presented as a mechanism for expanding employment opportunities by creating a system involving one job, three people and three shifts. The Abirem NPP youth wing maintains that the model has not been piloted not to talk of implementing as promised.
The group also disputes claims surrounding the proposed Youth Employment Bureau, saying the promised institution and youth employment database have not been established in accordance with the manifesto commitment.
Another programme cited is Jobs for You (J4U), which was presented as a dedicated initiative aimed at creating sustainable and well-paying employment opportunities for young Ghanaians. The NPP youth wing says the programme has not been delivered as promised.
The opposition youth group has also questioned the implementation of the One Million Coders initiative. It argues that the government’s one-million training target has not been achieved, raising questions about the extent to which the programme has contributed to addressing youth unemployment and equipping young people with digital skills.
The Digital Jobs Initiative, which the NDC manifesto reportedly linked to a proposed $3 billion investment and the creation of 300,000 digital jobs, is also among the commitments the Abirem NPP youth wing says remain outstanding.
Education and professional development also feature prominently in the group’s criticism. It says the promised reforms to the teacher licensure system have not been completed, while the controversial double-track system remains in Ghana’s education system despite the NDC’s commitment to abolish it.
The group further claims that the promised scrapping of the quota system for nursing and teacher training has not been implemented as pledged.
Another major concern raised by the NPP youth wing relates to the government’s commitment to automatically post trained teachers and nurses. According to the group, the promised automatic employment or posting arrangement has not materialised, leaving some trained professionals without the employment opportunities they expected.
The statement uses the phrase that some trained teachers and nurses are now becoming “MoMo vendors”, presenting it as an illustration of the employment difficulties facing young professionals.
The opposition youth wing also points to the Bed-for-All promise, which was intended to address accommodation challenges confronting students in tertiary institutions. It maintains that the tertiary accommodation problem remains unresolved.
The MO-NE-YO Scheme, another programme identified by the group, is described as a proposed pension and insurance arrangement for workers in Ghana’s informal economy. The Abirem NPP youth wing says the scheme has not been implemented as promised.
The group also lists the proposed Farmers’ Service Centres among the outstanding commitments, arguing that the promised nationwide network has not been established.
The NPP youth wing’s criticism comes against the backdrop of the NDC’s campaign promises to address unemployment, expand opportunities for young people and improve access to education, skills training and economic empowerment.
Youth unemployment and underemployment have remained politically sensitive issues in Ghana, with successive governments using job creation and skills development programmes as major components of their election campaigns.
For the NPP youth wing, however, the current debate is not simply about whether individual programmes have been introduced but whether the government can credibly claim that its entire youth manifesto has been fulfilled.
The group insists that the NDC should provide evidence for its claims and distinguish between programmes that have been announced, those that have commenced and those that have actually been completed.
It argues that young Ghanaians deserve measurable results rather than political messaging, particularly after making employment and economic opportunities central issues during the election campaign.
“The NDC should take Ghanaians, especially the youth, seriously,” the Abirem NPP Youth Wing said, challenging the government to account for its manifesto commitments.
The group has consequently vowed to continue scrutinising the government’s youth policies and demanding accountability over promises made to Ghanaian voters.
Its position is summed up in its campaign message: “Ghana’s youth deserve delivery, not propaganda.”
