The Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, has appealed to the Ministry of Roads and Highways to create employment opportunities for young people from the Ga State, particularly in technical and engineering-related fields.
The traditional ruler made the appeal when the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, paid a courtesy call on him at the Ga Mantse Palace in Accra.
According to the Ga Mantse, the employment of Ga youth in various sectors under the Ministry would ensure that indigenes of the land benefit directly from development activities taking place within their communities.
He called on the Ministry to consider setting aside opportunities or quotas for Ga youth in areas including engineering, technical work and other artisan roles.
“We are making an ask that you set up a quota for our Ga youth to be employed in the various sectors, either in engineering or as part of your artisan workforce,” Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II said.
He said such opportunities would help equip young people with skills while allowing them to contribute meaningfully to development.
The Ga Mantse also urged the Ministry to support initiatives under the Ga Mantse Foundation, particularly programmes focused on education, skills development and the welfare of young people.
He highlighted efforts by the Foundation to improve school infrastructure, support girls’ education and provide scholarships and school-startup assistance to children.
He said the Foundation was also working to support girls who become pregnant to return to school after childbirth and to provide opportunities for vocational and entrepreneurial training.
Responding to the request, Mr. Agbodza said the Ministry would take the concerns on board, particularly the call for greater opportunities for young people in technical fields.
He said the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme was not solely about constructing roads but also about creating opportunities for young people.
“One of the cardinal markers of what we want to do is to find out how many young people got opportunities as part of the Big Push project and got a job as quantity surveyors, as engineers and other things,” he said.
The Minister said he had observed increasing participation of women in engineering roles during his visits to road project sites across the country.
He assured the Ga Mantse that the Ministry would pay attention to the request to ensure that young people in the capital also benefit from opportunities created through government infrastructure projects.
Mr. Agbodza also commended the Ga Mantse for investing time and resources into initiatives supporting girls’ education and youth development.
He said the Ministry would continue to engage the traditional authority on ways to support development within the Ga State.
Story by : Belinda Anim-Piesie
