“Things are getting worse”: Catholic Bishop in Ghana Demands Radical System Overhaul to Address Youth Unemployment

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sunyani urged the Ghanaian government to begin with training children on moral values at a tender age to grow into responsible youths, saying, “We have to breed a new generation of Ghanaians. Because where we are now, we cannot straighten the people up. So we should go back to our schools.”

 “This is where the political will should be,” he emphasized, suggesting that for the government to experience a positive change, it should introduce an evolved education structure that implements its desires and values to the children at a tender age. 

The one-day “critical national conversation” was organized on the theme, “Political Economy of Conflict in Ghana: Addressing Youth Unemployment as a Catalyst for Security and Social Cohesion”.

Participants at the event explored ways in which youth unemployment is fueling insecurity and social unrest in Ghana. They agreed that the country is experiencing many challenges such as unemployment, underemployment and limited opportunities for the youths.

Bishop Gyamfi encouraged the Ghanaian government to emulate first world countries such as China in in instilling good values such as honesty in members of their society from as early as pre-school.

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The Catholic Bishop further urged the national leaders to demonstrate good values to guide the upcoming future generations.

“Human beings need a manual to guide how they use the knowledge that they have. Moral training, civic education, love for country, honesty, respect. These things should be taught. If these things are not taught, we should not expect people to be honest,” Bishop Gyamfi said.

Sabrine Amboka is a Kenyan journalist with a passion for Catholic church communication. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from St. Paul's University in Kenya.