A real estate developer and leading member of the NPP’s communication team, Henry Opoku-Ware, alias Owass, has said that the government cannot employ all graduated professionals in the public sector.
It is not the responsibility of every government to employ everybody in the country, he added.
Director of Hegis Co. Ltd. and entrepreneur Owass said the government must create an enabling environment for all.
So, graduate professionals can look elsewhere for other opportunities instead of waiting for years for governments to employ them.
His comment follows agitations by the Coalition of Unemployed Allied Health Professionals, who recently picketed at the Health Ministry government’s continued failure to post its members.
The affected year groups include Allied Health Professionals from 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, all of whom remain unposted.
Despite years of appeals to both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance for financial clearance, their efforts have yielded no results.
Michael Hlordzi, the Coalition’s spokesperson, voiced deep frustration, noting that prolonged unemployment has forced many members into menial jobs, a situation he describes as a waste of their valuable skills and resources.
“Serious agitation occasionally occurs.” People have resorted to menial jobs like construction and selling on the street, and the most painful part is that we have to renew our professional licenses every year.
We renew them in anticipation of clearance, but it never comes.”
With elections just around the corner, the Coalition believes that the timing of their picket is critical.
They worry that if they wait any longer, the government might deprioritize their issue.
“The year is drawing to a close, and elections are approaching. If we don’t picket now, next year after the election, we don’t think any government will be interested in our case,” Hlordzi added.
He also emphasized the urgent need for financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance, even for a one-year group, to resolve their longstanding issue.
Allied health professionals include a wide range of specialists, like physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, dietitians, nutritionists, and others.
Speaking on Atinka FM’s evening political show “Simpieso,” hosted by Nana Owoahene Acheampong, Henry, who is a law researcher, explained that graduates must not wait for years of unsuccessful employment before resulting in picketing and demonstrations.
He added that the government might have many projects on its plate in the final stages of its tenure, so it’s better to fight for your rights early on.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Prince Kwame Acheampong
