By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, Nov. 7, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has called on professionals, entrepreneurs and artisans in the Assemblies of God, Ghana, to mentor young people and support them to acquire employable skills.
He said the Church could help address youth unemployment by creating apprenticeship and business development opportunities for young people.
The President made the appeal at the second induction service of Reverend Stephen Yenusom Wengam as General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, and the outdooring of the Church’s new Executive Presbytery officers in Accra.
He said many young people were striving to build their future but continued to face uncertainty over employment and the cost of establishing independent lives, adding that their concerns deserved greater attention and that their skills and talents required opportunities to develop.
“I encourage the professionals in our Church, entrepreneurs and artisans, to make time for them. Mentor a young person. Offer an apprenticeship where possible,” he said.
President Mahama urged established professionals and business owners to guide young people on how to build sustainable enterprises.
“Help a young person understand how to start a sustainable business. Such liberal actions can change the course of their lives,” he said.
The President said the Church’s men’s ministry, women’s ministry and other departments had important roles to play in supporting young people as they navigated the challenges of adulthood.
He said Church members should model responsible behaviour and demonstrate the values they sought to instil in the next generation.
President Mahama said the Church’s transformation agenda provided an opportunity to deepen its contribution to society through community engagement and support for vulnerable groups.
He congratulated Rev. Wengam and the newly inducted executive officers, saying leadership should be viewed as service and exercised in the interest of those being served.
Rev. Wengam called on the Government to ensure that economic recovery translated into jobs, improved incomes and business growth.
He said although the economy was showing signs of recovery, its benefits needed to reach ordinary Ghanaians, particularly unemployed youth.
“Now that the recovery must mean decent jobs for our young people, better incomes for our farmers, and room for our businesses to grow and hire,” he said.
Rev. Wengam described youth unemployment as “heart-rendering and soul-wrenching”, saying many young people continued to struggle to secure jobs.
He expressed the hope that the Government’s economic recovery programme would expand opportunities for unemployed youth and others facing economic challenges.
Rev. Wengam said the Church remained committed to its transformation agenda, which focused on human resource development, pastoral welfare, infrastructure and evangelism.
He said the Assemblies of God, Ghana, had planted 2,077 churches over the past four years, increasing membership from 812,254 to about 1.2 million.
Rev. Wengam said the Church would intensify its local and international missionary activities during his second term, including expanding outreach to countries where it had no presence.
The event was attended by government officials, ministers of state, gospel musicians and other high ranking dignitaries.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey