The National Peace Council (NPC) has urged strategic investment in the development of long-term employment opportunities for Ghanaian youth in order to protect the nation from the insurgencies that are plaguing several West African nations.
Since 2020, military juntas have overthrown more than three democratically elected governments in the West Africa subregion; the most recent being in Burkina Faso.
George Amoh, the Council's executive secretary, stated that in order to prevent these uprisings, quick action must be taken to address public concerns, particularly those related to the labour market and young unemployment.
On Wednesday in Accra, he made this statement in an interview with the Ghana News Agency outside of a conference on "Consolidation of peace in Ghana," which was a part of the Trades Union Congress.
According to Mr. Amoh, the labour force is crucial to maintaining peace in the nation, thus the government should take the Trades Union Congress's and other workers' issues seriously.
"There is insurgency and violent extremism everywhere around us," said Mr. Amoh, citing Burkina Faso, Togo, Cote D'Ivoire, and Nigeria as examples. Therefore, as a nation, we must safeguard the peace that we currently have, and the TUC is a reliable partner with whom we can collaborate to accomplish this goal.
Adding that "If people don't have work, they're vulnerable and may be used by any violent person to achieve their aims," he urged on the government to solve structural impediments and generate quality and sustainable jobs for the youth.
The Executive Secretary remarked, "So let's get more people working and get rid of the structural impediments and when we're able to accomplish so we'll create the conditions for peace to take place."
In order to guarantee that the nation's peace was strengthened, he pleaded with the media to join the Council, the Government, and all other stakeholders in their efforts.
Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, the Chief Imam's representative on the Council, said, "If you give your youth no employment opportunities, they may become a source of violence because they can be exploited for anything."
TUC Secretary-General Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah gave the assurance that the Union will negotiate peacefully to prevent a civil conflict in the nation.
He exhorted Union members all around the nation to help the nation's peace be strengthened.
He praised the Peace Council's decision to work with the Union to maintain peace in Ghana and took use of the opportunity to demand that the TUC be admitted to the Council.
In the most current global peace index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, Ghana was placed 38th out of 163 sovereign governments and territories and first in West Africa and second in Africa.
Political stability, violent protests, violent crime, the importation of weapons, internal strife, and ties with neighbouring countries all played a role in the ranking.