Good day Mr President,

Hope you are aware that Newmont Ghana, in their latest press release issued in Accra will by the end of the fourth quarter of this year axe 300 employees from its workforce to cut down cost. Does this bother you? I hope not, because you have no responsibility whatsoever to pay unemployment benefits to these people.

What Independent Peoples Party - IPP is asking, will any of the affected 300 employees ever going to receive some kind of job seekers allowance or unemployment benefits from the state for the period that they are to stay home until they find another job? If they don’t qualify for any social welfare benefits payments after all their numerous contributions to SSNIT for the periods they have been working with Newmont Ghana. Aren’t we unfairly treating these people? Is this system ok?

As a country we have not treated our people well all these years, most especially those who one way or the other may have lost their jobs through no fault of theirs. We should be able to distinguish between social security from pensions; we in IPP propose the law governing this scheme must be amended now.

Why are social security contributions from employees and employers to the state mandatory in every civilised nation? Because it is another form of taxation and not only state pension as we have made to believe. Non compliance could land one into prison custody. Example is Aggudey who recently was jailed for non payment of his employees’ contributions. The contributions are supposed to go into profitable investments to pay for state pensions and social welfare needs of the people. That is the practice in all the advanced economies.

Mr President we are drawing your attention that, it’s unfair for an employee who for over the years consistently contributed to the scheme but cannot access some form of benefit from the state when he/she loses job until the person attains pension or retirement age.

We in IPP suggest the scheme's name should rather be changed to pension if that is what it means. The scheme shouldn’t have been called Social Security because it is not and has never secured the social welfare services of the contributors or persons living in the country.

Mr President, what is the role and purpose of this Ministry of Gender, Children & Social protection, and many departments under it. If nobody from that ministry seems to care about the welfare of the ordinarily Ghanaian, then what is the essence of having it in place? This ministry must cease to exist immediately because it’s of no use.

Our social welfare system has always been in shambles, sometimes we don't even know if we have ever had one. Majority of Ghanaian kids who are potential tax payers due to lack of maintenance roams on the streets to struggle and beg for food. People who are hired and paid to work in Ministry of Gender, Children & Social protection and Social Welfare departments don't seem to care about these innocent children’s welfare. Children who at most times suppose to be in school during classes hours loiter around and non of these men and women we are paying with tax payers money don’t seem to bother to get them into schools.

Mr president this should be your responsibility to provide for the up keep of your citizenry. Ghanaians welfare should be your utmost concern that is why you have been given our mandate to steer the affairs of this country called Ghana.

Ghana has lacked quality and responsible leadership ever since and today. Those in authority to govern don’t see it as mandatory on their side to cater for the needs of the people to feed, clothed and housed them. Ghanaians too don’t seem to know it’s their God given right to demand food, cloth and shelter from those in authority managing the country resources.

We in IPP are saying to the youth in Ghana that, it’s still not too late to demand what is yours. We need you all to rally behind the Independent Peoples Party - IPP to make the change that will transform your future. We promised to introduce Child Benefit of GHc50.00 a month per child and Unemployment Benefit of GHc100.00 for those above 18 years but unemployed. YES WE CAN IPP: Yenko nkoaa IPP: So me ha na so me ha

RAZAK OPOKU GENERAL SECRETARY 027 629 1274 ippghana@yahoo.com www.ippgh.org