Editor in chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr, has stated that the launch of the Nation Builders Corps (NABCo) by President Akufo-Addo last Tuesday has confused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to him, the stiff opposition from the NDC is incredible and an indication of fear of the success of the programme.

President Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday launched NaBCO, which will employ, in this year alone, 100,000 young men and women to assist in the public sector service delivery needs of Ghana.

According to President Akufo-Addo, “NaBCO will be the vehicle to deliver one hundred thousand (100,000) jobs in seven (7) prioritised areas, defined as the following modules: Educate Ghana; Heal Ghana; Feed Ghana; Revenue Ghana; Digitise Ghana; Enterprise Ghana; and Civic Ghana.”

Explaining the rationale for the establishment of the Corps, President Akufo-Addo noted that the grim story of youth unemployment has been a tragic part of the lives of Ghanaians for far too long in Ghana, worsened, in recent times, by the ban placed on public sector employment by the International Monetary Fund.

The NDC after the launch of the programme by the President has said the ‘Nation Builders Corps’ (NABCo) offers no new plan to create jobs but a duplication of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA). It has also said the GHS700 salary for the employees ridicules the value of a tertiary level certificate.

Speaking on Peace FM, the veteran Journalist stated that the NDC’s position on NABCo is incredible urging them to cut the mischief as the programme will offer temporary jobs to the many unemployed students who completed school during NDC’s tenure in office.

“There seems to be some fear for this programme, and an attempt to ridicule and bastardize it, I just don’t understand. The President himself has indicated that NABCO is not a substitute for sustainable jobs. Yes, constructive criticism is welcome but I hear people saying GHC700.00 is not enough salary for a graduate, some have even gone to the extent of appealing to them not to enroll in the programme. This is absolutely incredible, there are hundreds of thousands of graduates who have not done any work in the past five years and now they’ve this chance that will sharpen their skills and give them some training to prepare them for the future. NABCO must certainly not be bastardized.”