Youth in Afforestation Gives Gov’t 7 Days Ultimatum To Settle Salary Arrears Or Face Their Wrath.
The over 25,000 employees in the Youth In Afforestation (YIA) across the country say they have given the Npp led Akuffo Addo’s regime, 7 day ultimatum effective today August 25, to settle their one (1) year four(4) months unpaid salary arrears, else they would embark on demonstration to claim their monies.
According to them the Forestry Commission engaged 60,000 youth in the exercise at the initial stage, but out of frustrations, some of them have thrown in the towel.
Many of them have also died in addition to marriage divorces as a result of poverty.
According to source close to the youth many of such workers at Youth In Afforestation are artisans, computer literates among others but they are restrained by financial challenges to work on their own.
The source said some of them decided to join in the afforestation exercise to help raise funds to start their own businesses and then engage others to make earns meet.
Hence their call on the government to expedite action on their unpaid salaries arrears.
We publish below the unedited release the youth came out with for the attention of the government:
We the youth in Afforestation (YIA) under the Forestry Commission, Ministry of Lands and Minerals Resources are demanding our unpaid allowances for over one year and four months from the government and we are giving the government up to this month of August to clear all allowances due us.
We were over 60,000 when we began the Youth In Afforestation (YIA) program introduced by the government in 2018 under the leadership of late Hon. Kwaku Owusu Afriyie popularly known as Sir John, since the program started we have planted over 67million trees across the country.
But through outrageous dissatisfaction and neglected recompenses we lost great spirits (Rest In Peace Our Dead Soul).
Presently over 25,000 Youth In Afforestation have determined not to support the ruling government and will quit working if the government does not give any answer to our situation.
The Youth In Afforestation (YIA) has been hit seriously and the way that they need to battle for stipend prior to getting is definitely not a decent demonstration of the Government and Forestry Commission Ghana.
Remember we have family to take care, we are suffering because we have not been paid, we cry always due to hinger.
It’s so sad how we suffer before going to work, most of us depends on borrowing before we are able to get to work. Most of us always go to work with empty stomach yet nobody cares about us.
We have been going through all these hardships for the love of the country yet Land and Natural Resources Minister boast of Afforestation accomplishment without giving some credit to we Youth In Afforestation (YIA) who made it a success.
The minister has turned death ears to our situation and not doing anything to help solve our pending allowances.
The cry and difficulty of all lost Soul and all Afforestation beneficiaries who are enduring and going through a lot of hardship in view of Mother Ghana will be your responsibility since you individuals are responsible for the welfare of the beneficiaries and would not pay us for One(1) year Four(4) month now.
The government only takes delight in the success of the program but has refused to do the needful by clearing all our allowances.
We express our concern over how the major political parties disregarded us in their agenda, upon all the hardships we go through.
We are reminding these two major political parties NPP and NDC that 2024 elections are around the corner and we the Youth in Afforestation (YIA) will advise ourselves.
Convener:
Isaac Aryee
0244263926
Operations:
Felix Bonney 0262032260
Secretary:
Felix Targoe
0246443544
Organizer:
Bismark
0557374738
Member:
Akua Gifty
0543344450
