His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama on August 12, 2014 launched the Youth Enterprise Support (YES) Fund to help the youth with ”brilliant” entrepreneurs turn their job creation ideas into reality, so that they become job creators instead of job seekers.
Even before the President could launch the initiative, the National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Sammy Awuku had addressed a news conference and this is exactly what he said of the initiative. “They (meaning the NPP) refuse to believe that the (YES Fund) is going to serve as any motivation” In other words, the NPP executives, their members and supporters are all refusing to be motivated by any means, shape and form. Now, if the NPP does not have any brilliant youth entrepreneurs amongst them, Sammy Awuku should make that very clear to Ghanaians.
If you are a government and you are dealing with an opposition who are refusing to be motivated, what will you do? Some months ago, the President visited the Ashanti Region and in Kumasi, some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) played the popular Daddy Lumba’s song, ” Ye dee woho be to yo”, literally meaning “do what you think is good for you”. This is the official title of the song but the NPP immediately changed the official title to be “Yentie Obiaa.” meaning “we will not listen to anybody”.
Even though the President had nothing to do with the playing of the song, The NPP attributed it to him. There were cartoons and all kinds of stuff on the internet and on social media by the NPP suggesting to the world that Ghana has a President who doesn’t listen to anybody. Have not the people who played that song in Kumasi been justified by Sammy Awuku’s statement? Why deal with people who refuse to be motivated? They prefer to remain in their poor conditions and then complain.
There is a survey out there that suggests that about 5 million Ghanaians are refusing to work until Nana Akufo-Addo becomes President of Ghana. Another 2 million Ghanaians are refusing to look for work because if they find work to do, their remittances from abroad will cease to flow. They prefer to receive remittances from abroad than to work and they love to portray to their friends, love ones and relatives abroad that Ghana is “hard”. I am sure Sammy Awuku has seen this survey that was why he was bold to say that they (NPP) refuse to be motivated. They refuse to take charge of their own destiny.
When Former UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, is advising the world’s youth to accept and admit that they are never too young to lead, Sammy Awuku is telling the Ghanaian youth to refuse to be motivated. Do you see the kind of opposition we have in Ghana? And would you give your power to such an opposition to rule you? Hell no!!!
I want the NPP to know that the YES Fund is not for the youth who refuse to be motivated. It is intended to help young brilliant entrepreneurs turn their job creation ideas into reality so they become job creators instead of job seekers. The YES Fund is not for the youth who refuse to be motivated. It is “open to anybody who has a very good proposal which can yield fruit and repay its facility that has been given to him” as quoted by the former Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, Hon. Joseph Yammin. In short, if you are not a brilliant youth entrepreneur, do not have a good business proposal and refuse to be motivated, don’t attempt to apply because the initiative is not meant for you.
There is also one Dr. Samuel Buame, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, who is quoted on myjoyonline.com to have said “the question is if GYEEDA couldn’t work, what is the guarantee that this one (YES) will work” My question to Dr. Buame is, was he born a “Doctor?” and did he become a lecturer at the age of 1 day? Did he not fail in some initiatives and decisions he made whilst growing up? Because we have people who make things look this simple as lecturers in our Universities, this is why we have Unemployed Graduates Association in Ghana. They see things simple in the classroom and so they expect to see things simple when they graduate. If things become a little complicated for them, they join the association.
The Youth Enterprise Support (YES) Fund is for people who are positive thinkers. It is for people who think that even though they have messed up before, they can still make it. It is for people who say, “with a little push, we can climb to the top of the mountain.” It is not meant for people who refuse to be motivated and want to wait until Nana Akufo-Addo becomes President of Ghana.
If Dr. Samuel Buame thinks that the GYEEDA programme failed and so the YES Fund initiative will also fail, he should tell the NPP that if they lost the general elections in 2008 and 2012, they will lose again 2016. There is no guarantee that they can win. It is that simple. And if Sammy Awuku is saying the NPP refuses to be motivated, then he should continue to pray that the NPP again refuses to win the 2016 general elections. Ghanaians refuse to allow people who are not motivated to rule them in 2016 and beyond. This is also that simple!!!

Lawrence Appiah-Osei (Protocol)
Public Relations Officer (PRO)
NDC Washington Metro Branch
Appiah65@Hotmail.com