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Skills dev’t training for youth launched at Sekondi-Takoradi
Mr. Abdul-Mumin Issah launching the Skills development Project
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has launched skills development training under the European Union-funded Twin Cities in Sustainable Partnership Project (TCSPP) being implemented in Sekondi-Takoradi in Ghana and Palermo in Italy.
The three-year project aims to enhance the capacity of authorities to address the challenges of urban sprawl, climate change and inadequate social safety nets for vulnerable populations within the two cities.
The launch of the TCSPP Project is also to commemorate the 2023 Europe Month Celebration in Ghana under the theme, “Celebrating Youth and Skills” and to recognise the EU as a funding agency of TCSPP and their contributions and initiatives to support Ghanaian youth in acquiring the right skills for quality jobs.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of STMA, Mr. Abdul-Mumin Issah, said that having a workforce in a society with the skills that were in demand contributed to sustainable growth, led to more innovation and improved competitiveness.
He said one of the major challenges in society today was the high population of unemployed youth and its corresponding challenges of crime, illicit use of drugs, and irregular migration to southern Europe through the desert and the Mediterranean Sea.
He said the TCSPP Skills Development programme was therefore aimed at complementing the many interventions both the central government and other stakeholders were making to address the youth unemployment situation in the metropolis and other parts of Ghana.
Mr. Issah disclosed that the programme was intended to train 350 vulnerable groups, including unemployed women and youth, returnees and potential future migrants, in professional skills in crop production, animal husbandry, aquaculture, bio-digester technology, eco-friendly oven production and plastic waste recycling.
He said the training would focus on two key areas, namely urban agriculture techniques and green and climate-smart production technologies, adding that “the project will provide post-training assistance to well-deserving trainees by supporting them to construct 500 bio-digester toilets and 100 eco-friendly ovens across the metropolis.
The MCE said the situation reaffirmed his long conviction that “teaching and learning employable skills” was the way forward for most unemployed people to become self-employed and employable in the competitive job market.
The Project Coordinator, Mr. Isaac Aidoo, said the project needed about 350 youth to start the skills training, but at the time of the launch, the number was not up, so he appealed to more youth to come and pick forms because the training was very beneficial.
The chairperson for the launch, Nana Kofi Abuna V, who is the chief of Essipun, said those who had picked forms should count themselves blessed to get the opportunity.
She told the trainees to be committed, determined and visionary, setting some goals ahead of their completion and working hard to get there.
She advised parents not to discourage their children from learning skills because it was the only way to reduce unemployment in the country by making the youth more self-employed and dependent on themselves.
From Peter Gbambila, Sekondi
The Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has pledged to work closely with the Judiciary and the Ministry of Justice to address challenges affecting the delivery of justice in Ghana.
He made this known after receiving the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, who paid a courtesy call on him earlier today.
The Chief Justice was accompanied by Supreme Court Judge, Justice Gabriel Pwamang, the Acting Director of the Ghana School of Law, Professor Raymond Atuguba, and the Judicial Secretary.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, was also present at the meeting.
Dr. Forson said the Chief Justice explained that the visit was to express appreciation for the continuous support the Ministry of Finance has given to the Judiciary.
According to him, the Chief Justice raised concerns about congestion in the courts, describing it as a major challenge that affects the speedy delivery of justice.
He said several solutions are currently being considered to help reduce the pressure on the courts.
“The Chief Justice also highlighted issues regarding the working conditions of staff within the Judiciary,” Dr. Forson stated.
He assured them of his commitment to helping resolve these problems through collaboration with the Judiciary and the Ministry of Justice.
“I am committed to working closely with the Judiciary and the Ministry of Justice to tackle these challenges,” he said.
As part of the measures being considered, Dr. Forson revealed that his ministry is examining the possibility of allowing the Judiciary to use 100 percent of its Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to meet urgent operational needs.
He said this move, if approved, would help improve the efficiency of the courts and enhance justice delivery across the country.
The meeting forms part of efforts to strengthen cooperation between the Executive and the Judiciary in addressing systemic challenges within Ghana’s justice system.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana has begun talks with the family of Guinea’s first President, Sékou Touré, to take possession of the house where Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah lived and worked during his final years in exile.
The Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced that the move follows instructions from President John Dramani Mahama.
According to him, the Mahama administration plans to renovate and preserve the residence in Guinea as a mark of respect for Nkrumah and to protect his legacy.
He explained that the site is expected to become part of a broader historical and tourism experience that traces Nkrumah’s life from Ghana to Guinea.
The decision was formally communicated to the Sékou Touré family on Saturday during a visit led by Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang.
The visit took place after the investiture of Guinea’s President Mamady Doumbouya.
Mr Ablakwa noted that the Ghanaian delegation toured Nkrumah’s abandoned home and was warmly received by three generations of the Sékou Touré family, led by the former president’s eldest son.
He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently negotiating the terms and conditions of the arrangement and engaging preservation experts to handle the restoration works.
The minister assured the public that the process will be handled openly, stressing that Ghanaians will be kept informed at every stage in the interest of transparency and accountability.
Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah was Ghana’s first President and a leading figure in Africa’s independence and Pan African movements.
His years in Guinea symbolised the strong political and ideological ties between the two countries.
By: Jacob Aggrey
