The request for proposals to implement an ICT model presently being advertised by Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) “is without authorization” and should be “withdrawn”, the Office of the President has directed.
The directive came in a short government statement released in Accra on Thursday. It came a day after pressure group, Mass Action Committee (MAC), gave the Mahama administration a week’s ultimatum to withdraw the adverts.
Early Thursday, Member of Parliament for Obuasi West, Hon. Kweku Kwarteng, added his voice to calls on the government to withdraw the adverts.
In an interview with Citi News, the MP said, “When the mismanagement and the irregularities in the GYEEDA programme came up, one of the reasons government gave for the irregularities happening was that GYEEDA was not operated on the bases of any law and therefore it lacked the legal and institutional arrangements that could check some of these irregularities.” (See: Stop GYEEDA adverts – Obuasi West MP)
In a statement late Thursday, Information and Media Relations Minister, Mahama Ayariga, said, “The President directs the Acting Executive Director of GYEEDA to expedite action on the reforms contained in the initial Presidential directives on GYEEDA to pave the way for implementation of modules that would create job opportunities for the youth”.
In 2013, a string of financial scandals forced a government investigation into the activities of GYEEDA. The investigations documented evidence of corruption and massive misuse of public funds under the programme, compelling President Mahama to order complete overhaul of GYEEDA’s operations.
By: Mawuli Tsikata/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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