The Coalition of Unemployed Agriculture Graduate has registered their displeasure with what they describe as the unfair treatment meted out to them by the government.
Speaking at a press conference, the president of the union, Kwame Asafo Boakye said about 3,000 graduates from the various agricultural institutions since 2010 are unemployed.
He added that “MoFA’s National Agriculture Extension Agents ratio, one extension officer is to 500 farmers but according to research conducted by the Peasant Farmers and SEND-Ghana between 2013 and 2015, revealed that the Agriculture Extension Agent (AEA) ratio has increased to one extension officer to 3,000 farmers, of which the needed growth for agriculture cannot be obtained if the right proportion of the AEA is not applied”.
The President of the Union, however, protested against the government’s decision to employ 1,200 graduates under the Youth Employment Agency.
The union has also threatened a picket at Ministry of Agriculture since every means to get the government’s attention failed.
Meanwhile, the Deputy General Secretary of the General Agriculture Workers Union of TUC Andrews A. Tagoe has pledged the union’s full support to the Unemployed Graduates.
The Students of agriculture colleges in the country have previously lamented what they call government’s seeming neglect given how the various agriculture institutions lacked infrastructure and logistics.
They appealed to the government to restore their canceled allowances because students depend heavily on the allowance to support themselves.
There are five state Agriculture colleges in the country, which admit almost 3,000 people yearly.
The colleges which run a three-year certificate course in general agriculture, are the Kwadaso College of Agriculture in the Ashanti Region, Damango Agriculture College in the Northern Region, Ohawu in the Volta Region, Ejura in the Ashanti Region and Animal Health and Production for veterinary officers in the Northern Region.
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By: Gifty Tracy Aminu/citifmonline.com/Ghana