Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has explained why many Ghanaian artisans are losing their jobs to foreigners.
He has attributed the reason to poor attitude towards work, something he has blamed the political class for failing to take keen interest in addressing.
According to the lawmaker, the unemployment situation especially amongst artisanal workers is becoming worse and poses a serious security threat, admonishing the political class to have a conversation on the issue.
Speaking on responsible leadership and inclusive growth at a Bradford University engagement at the British Council Wednesday, March 27, 2024, the Effutu MP outlined some of the reasons which have constituted to many in the sector losing their jobs foreign nationals.
“Today, many real estate companies, many individuals in construction will prefer Nigerian, Togolese, Burkinabe artisans and when you interview the owners of these businesses who prefer to recruit these carpenters, tilers, masons, from among those who are not Ghanaians they tell you that the Ghanaian artisans come to work today, the next day they won’t come, they do things their own way, in the afternoon they will close and the next thing is that they are in church,” he explained.
The MP “this is the matter that the political class of this country must be bold and confront.”
He explained it was time the political class addressed the issue to safeguard the future of the nation.
“So, I ask myself, 2024 we all want to win elections but we are not paying attention to the deliverables that will sustain our own nation. So, there seem to be an impunity moving through Ghanaian society.
“We are the ones who are given power, we cannot over-depend on civil society so we as a political class must identify this and be bold that if you get it wrong you must be punished, if you get it right, you have to be rewarded. If the psyche of the Ghanaian youth is positioned this way, impunity will be minimised,” he explained.
