The Former National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Director General of the National Lotteries Authority (NLA), Sammy Awuku, has indicated that government has performed well over the years in its administration.
Giving an assessment of government’s performance, he indicated that although government has had multiple challenges both internally and externally, it has been able to manage things properly.
“We were faced with our biggest challenge which is COVID. No one envisioned this when they were giving out their manifestos.”
Sammy Awuku
According to the NLA Director, Ghanaians did not face much suffering with the emergence of COVID as in the case of other countries. He averred that government has improved overtime.
“But the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement and that is why we keep encouraging government to perform.”
Sammy Awuku
Touching on some progress made, Sammy Awuku averred that there has been success in the agricultural sector especially with the planting for food and jobs. He also stated that the introduction of free SHS has been successful regardless of the initial implementation challenges.
“For everything, it’s always difficult to change but when progress demands change, there must be. I believe that the government of Akufo-Addo, if you weigh them, they haven’t fell below 8 out of 10.”
Sammy Awuku
Youth support
Sammy Awuku indicated that during the Mahama administration in 2016, young people were disoriented, desolated and dispirited. However, he stated that, the conditions are not the same under the Akufo-Addo administration.
The NLA director indicated that at the moment, millions of young people have hope due to projects such as the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative, an initiative, he noted, never existed under the Mahama administration to support the youth.
“What I saw in 2016 is different from what I see now in 2022. Today what I see is, they see that some of their colleagues have gotten jobs, they are praying and pushing that it gets to their time.”
Sammy Awuku
According to him, even though Nana Addo and his administration haven’t provided jobs for every young Ghanaian, nobody can tell him “he doesn’t know one person who hasn’t been employed under this administration”.
“So, if you can point to one person meaning that we have made progress because of the backlog. If you had four hundred thousand people entering the job market every year, calculate it from 2017 to even 2021 . The five years is giving 2 million young people. 2 million young people absorbing them won’t be easy.”
Sammy Awuku
No re-election
The Former National Youth Organizer disclosed that he will not seek re-election in July when the party goes to polls to elect new national executives.
Sammy Awuku noted that he is going to concentrate on his new role in public service. Mr Awuku, who is now the Director General of the National Lotteries Authority (NLA), stated that it is only prudent to leave when the applause is high.
The NLA director insisted that the NPP has other capable members to continue the mantle. To him, even when the gifts spread across the political spectrum gives Ghana a bright future.
“What I want to do is to have the opportunity to serve all out as a distinguished public servant and I share in Nana Addo’s statement when he says ‘Public Service is Public Service’. I believe the NPP is gifted with a lot of potentials.”
Sammy Awuku
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