Minister for Finance Mr Ken Ofori-Atta has challenged Ghanaian youth to remain focused to secure their future as government ramps up efforts to revive the economy from the coronavirus-induced setback.
He also urged the youth to take advantage of the numerous advantages being presented by government to stimulate economic growth in the country.
Sharing what he described as useful principles to guide the youth in navigating their way through the unprecedented challenges presented by COVID-19, Mr. Ofori-Atta said the youth must form the habit of creating space and time to move away from the clutter and the noise to think and reflect on what they can do in their own small way to transform their communities and the country as a whole.
The Minister gave the advice when he addressed the Springboard Youth Dialogue Series in Sunyani on Monday.
The programme was on the theme: “Repositioning; navigating through COVID-19 and finding Career and Business opportunities.”
Drawing lessons from his personal life from growing up in Kyebi, a community with resource limitations in the eastern part of the country, Mr Ofori-Atta charged the youth to not despise their humble beginnings as it serves as their foundation and roots and determines how far they will go in life.
He recounted how he was born out of wedlock with his mother escaping from Kyebi to Kumasi in order to escape the pressure of terminating the pregnancy.
This, he explained, was because his dad was from a royal family and also, his mum did not want to ruin his father’s life because he was pursuing further studies in the university.
“If you are a young man or woman listening to me, this is a challenge for you to be strong in your convictions. Believe in who God has made you, and do something great with your life and generations after you”, he stated.
Mr. Ofori-Atta said growing up as a young adult in a deprived community denied him of certain life opportunities but that did not stop him from remaining steadfast and patient to realizing his purpose in life.
He said it is this steadfastness and patience that pushed him through primary school in Ghana, through to secondary school to securing a scholarship to study in Columbia in the United States and later pursuing his graduate studies in Yale.
Mr Ofori-Atta added that the pathway to greatness is often paved with pain and adversity but the youth must endure to create something of value for themselves stressing that it is this endurance that led to the birth of Databank, one of the leading investment banks in Africa quoting the famous Romans 8:28 Bible verse “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Navigating COVID-19
In his admonition to the youth, Mr. Ofori-Atta said despite the havoc created by the global pandemic, the youth should begin thinking about how to create opportunities for themselves even as government rolls out interventions to shore up key sectors of the economy.
He said, on government’s part, sustaining the economy in the face of global health crises remains top of its agenda and hence the youth must support government by taking advantage of the numerous opportunities it creates in the economy.
Post-COVID economic recovery
According to the Minister, government’s task in setting the economy back in motion is simple and straightforward.
However, he said it is left with the youth to re-awaken their social patriotism and take advantage of opportunities to assist in developing the country.
Accordingly, Mr Ofori-Atta said government is rolling out interventions such as; the GH¢3 billion credit and stimulus package by commercial banks in Ghana to revitalize industries, especially pharmaceutical, hospitality, services and manufacturing sectors; strategic support in income increases and life insurance in excess of GH¢320 million to incentivise health workers and allied professionals; supporting households and businesses with electricity and water subsidies in excess of GH¢1.3 billion and launching the GH¢100 billion Ghana CARES “Obaatanpa” programme specifically to transition us from a commodity dependent to self-reliant industrialized nation.
