Professor Emeritus Stephen Adei, the former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has opined that the youth should not be left on their own in the quest to address unemployment issues in the country.
According to him, they need to be supported as they seek to establish themselves.
Giving some tips on potential enablers for fighting unemployment on the July 24 edition of the Springboard Virtual University – a program that airs on Accra-based Joy FM – the academic noted that the church had a crucial role to play in fighting unemployment.
He said that Orthodox churches should venture into the financial sector and establish banks together with credit unions which will give support to members.
While admonishing churches not to use collections received to build mansions for pastors, he also indicated that the government had a role to play in facilitating the easy establishment of businesses with the right economic conditions.
“I think society…I’m talking about groups, churches, and other things that should not just get collections and build big mansions for their pastors and even Cathedrals. The National Cathedral is exempted because we need a national monument to reflect that Ghanaians…70% of us are Christians.
“A church like Church of Pentecost, Methodist, Presby, Catholic should be having their own banks, big credit unions… I just had a young man called Mr. Nketia who as a businessman gave his church GH¢100,000 as entrepreneurial support. We can do a lot within this social level. We need to also look at the government.
“The government is trying to do a lot…the YouStart, Ghana Enterprise Agency (among others), however, at the end of the day, it is improving the general conditions [and] economic environment. The lending rate is brought down, a special guarantee for young people when they go in for the finances to reduce the banks’ risk. The government has a lot to do,” Professor Adei said
“It is not outside their mandate. The church’s mandate basically is to worship the Lord, equip the saints, and evangelize. But it must equip the saints for the work of the ministry,” he added.
