The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has cautioned against escalating levels of youth unemployment in Ghana, highlighting the potentially severe repercussions this could have on the forthcoming elections.

Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, 12 June 2024, Speaker Bagbin expressed grave concerns over the rising joblessness and homelessness among the youth, urging immediate and decisive action from the country’s political leadership.

“…The signs and signals of happenings in the country are not that of assurance and hope…I am told that people going to write their names are carrying knives, and guns just to go and write names," the Speaker noted, illustrating the desperate and volatile atmosphere pervading the nation.

He further questioned the potential fallout during the election period.

 “What about when we are going to vote and at the end of it all the results are announced? And somebody else has carried the day and not the other,” he quizzed.

Speaker Bagbin underscored the critical nature of addressing youth disillusionment, warning that failure to act could lead to severe and irreversible consequences. 

He said: “The joblessness, the homelessness, and the hopelessness of the youth cannot be taken lightly. We must act together and now to prevent a journey to calamity or to a journey of no return.”

The Speaker also reminded Parliament of their duty to the public, who expect tangible results rather than prolonged deliberations. 

“The public does not give a dime what goes on in between the starting together and finishing together. With these, it is clear that as representatives of the people, we have a significant amount of work ahead of us and I therefore urge all members to patronise the work and ensure that we make progress on these important matters,” he added.