My top priority is to reduce youth unemployment in Ellembelle - Armah-Kofi Buah

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle constituency in the Western Region, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has pledged his total commitment to initiate life-changing programs to reduce youth unemployment in his constituency.

Armah Kofi-Buah who is also the Deputy Minority Leader of Parliament made this pledge during the launch of empowerment skills training dubbed "Skill Up Ellembelle" at AYA Community and Recreational Center at Ampain on Friday, August 25, 2023.

So far, 400 young men and women have been enrolled in the program and 600 young people are expected to join the program.

The initiative is aimed at empowering the youth in the constituency to be financially self-reliant and empower others.

It is also aimed at reducing the unemployment situation in the area.

The beneficiary young people will be trained in the area of hairdressing, dressmaking, welding, fitting, spraying, electricals, and carpentry among others.

Speaking at the launch of the program, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah stressed that empowering youth has always been one of his key plans for reducing unemployment and creating jobs in the constituency.

He disclosed that he had already trained 800 young men and women in entrepreneurship.

He, therefore, expressed his disappointment and said he enrolled 3000 young people and only 800 of them were able to complete the program some years ago.

"The last time I tried this program, I was able to enroll 3000 young people and I became very excited but at the end of the day, only 800 young people were able to complete the program. Those that couldn't complete the program did not go to work on time, some too thought I sent them there so I was supposed to feed them always and in fact, I thought it was wise that next time I would change my style", he said.

He stated that with this new initiative, he selected only committed people so that they could complete the two-year training and become employable people in the future.

"I have learned a lot of lessons in the previous programs I did and this time around, we have picked young men and women who are very committed and have promised to be trained and today 400 young men and women have been enrolled, we will add 600 young men and women into the program so I'm expecting 1000 young men and women to be trained and empowered and they will spend two years each", he stated.

Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah took the opportunity to emphasise that at the end of the program, he would establish group companies for them.

"This program is very different from the previous ones because what we are going to do is that immediately after their training we will put them into groups and register companies for them and it is called Skil Up Ellembelle, we will open skill up welding shop, we will open skill up fitting shop, we will open skill up carpentry shop and others and register them and make sure that they have a tax ID and also empower them with funds", he added.

The MP pledged that he would organise workshops for them on time management and accounting periodically.

He lauded the trainers for pledging and dedicating their precious time to training these young people.

He, therefore, called on the companies in the area to support his initiative.

On her part, the 2024 NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Amenfi Central Constituency in the Western Region, Joana Gyan Cudjoe commended the Ellembelle MP, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah for the initiative.

She called on the good people of Ellembelle Constituency to rally behind Armah Kofi-Buah to develop the area.

She, therefore encouraged the beneficiary young men and women to take advantage of this rare opportunity to become financially self-independent and try as much as they could to contribute their quota to the development of Ellembelle Constituency and Ghana at large.

"I also started like you, after secondary school, I learned dressmaking for four years and worked for so many years before moving to Accra, and in Accra, I slept in a kiosk for so many years all because my parents were not having money but today I'm a Parliamentary Candidate for Amenfi Central so take this opportunity seriously, don't joke with it because I could become a Parliamentary Candidate then you too can become like me and others. As I have come here when I go back to Amenfi Central I will do the same over there because this is a very laudable program. My father was a palm tapper but I never gave up, she stated.

"Your MP has done well and you need to support him, don't disappoint him, take your training seriously, during your graduation, I will come and support you", she said.

She advised them to eschew laziness at workplaces and accord their trainers with maximum respect.

The NDC Amenfi Central Parliamentary Candidate who is also an astute entrepreneur, therefore, took the opportunity to pledge to support Armah Kofi-Buah's Skill Up Ellembelle initiative with GHC20,000.

"As an entrepreneur and a businesswoman, I can't come to such a program without supporting this program so I'm supporting this program with GHC20,000. God bless you all and support Armah-Kofi Buah", she concluded.

Moreover, some of the previous beneficiaries who are now self-reliant, commended Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah for supporting them.

Veronica Owusu Ansah of Aiyinasi Nyamebekyere, a seamstress, thanked the MP for helping her to become a successful person in life.

She, therefore, called on the good people of Ellembelle to remember Armah Kofi-Buah in 2024 for him to represent the constituency in Parliament again.