MP chases minister over 1 million jobs breakdown

The First Deputy Minority Whip has laughed off claims by the Employment and Labour Relations Minister that over one million jobs have been created by the government within 15 months. The New Patriotic Party government rode on the back of corruption and unemployment into power in the 2016 general elections. Many, especially the opposition National Democratic Congress, have been taunting the Akufo-Addo-led government to state the number of jobs created since he assumed office. The Employment Minister, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah took up that challenge when President Akufo-Addo launched the Nation Builders Corps on Tuesday in Kumasi, coinciding with the May Day parade in the same region to announce the creation of over one million jobs. According to the minister, the 1,096,404 jobs “happened within the formal economy. So what happened within the informal economy is not even accounted for here”. But critics are not convinced, demanding further clarification. “He should bring the regional and sectorial breakdown,” Ibrahim Ahmed, the First Deputy Minority Whip insisted on TV3 News@10 Tuesday. His disinterest in the minister’s figures is based on the fact that they were not uttered by the president. Calling the minister’s credibility into question, Mr. Ahmed cited an instance where claims by another minister were disputed and denied  by even NPP Members of Parliament. Mr. Ahmed, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Banda in the Brong Ahafo Region, was also surprised the president who sat through the programme where the announcement was made kept mute on jobs he has created, although he promised to update Ghanaians months back. “Nana Akuf-Addo does not even have confidence in that figure,” he said, perhaps to explain why “the president himself was so circumspect, in such a way that he wouldn’t say it.” Meanwhile, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah is reported to have told Starr FM “in the area of the Ministry of Interior, we have a total of 3500 people employed, for Works and Housing, 4039 people have been employed. For the Agric Sector, the Ministry has employed 745,000 people”. By Isaac Essel |3news.com | Ghana]]>