During the ministerial vetting of George Opare Addo earlier today, actor and politician John Dumelo posed critical questions about addressing unemployment and enhancing agricultural value chains. Speaking at the vetting session, Dumelo sought clarification on how the nominee plans to tackle the pressing issues faced by young people and farmers in Ghana.
Dumelo’s first question centered on the plight of jobless youth, particularly in his constituency of Ayawaso West, where young men often resort to hustling in traffic to survive.”My question is simple,” Dumelo began. “If you come to Ayawaso West, you have a lot of street guys that are young, and sometimes they do bother motorists in traffic. Is there any plan for them so they can stop what they are doing? This is one of the biggest problems we are facing in Ayawaso West, and it has become a thing of concern for me.”
Dumelo emphasized that the root of the issue lies in unemployment, asserting that if these young people had stable jobs, they would not resort to street hustling.
“These young guys are doing that because they are jobless. When they have something doing, I don’t think they are going to be there. So I want to know how you intend to tackle that problem for us,” he added.
As a self-declared proud farmer, Dumelo’s second question focused on agribusiness and the need to add value to farmers’ produce. While acknowledging Opare Addo’s previous comments on supporting farmers, Dumelo urged the nominee to expand his vision to include value addition and small-scale industries.
“You did touch on agriculture, but as a proud farmer myself, I would want you to elaborate on agribusiness—adding value to what we farmers produce,” Dumelo said. “You talked about helping farmers, but what about those who want to set up small industries and add value to the value chain? I would love to hear more about your plans for this.”
The session, shared by Citi FM on their official Instagram page, quickly gained traction and sparked widespread public engagement. Many viewers praised Dumelo’s questions for addressing critical issues affecting everyday Ghanaians.
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