The Minority in Parliament says government is using the new Youth Employment Bill 2014, as a conduit to create and loot state resources for its 2016 electioneering campaign.
The bill introduced in Parliament last week is expected to be passed this week.
But the minority says the document in its present form has failed to address loopholes that enabled corruption to thrive under the Ghana youth employment and entrepreneurial development agency (GYEEDA).
At a news conference today, the Deputy Minority Leader Dominic Nitiwul said documents available to them suggest that service providers recruited under GYEEDA have failed to return monies illegally paid to them totaling 1.5 billion Ghana cedis.
Parliamentary correspondent Elton Brobbey reported the Ranking Member for the Youth And Sports Committee and Member of Parliament for Atwima Mponua, Isaac Asiamah as saying the bill must be withdrawn.
He said the Bill in its current state makes room for corruption to fester and called on the Employment Minister to withdraw the document and redraft it.
He explained that the normal practice is for every bill to be accompanied by an explanatory memorandum, setting out in detail the policy and principles of the bill but that is lacking in the new Youth and Employment Bill.
“It is unfortunate that such a laudable programme started by the NPP administration is today suffering severely under the Mahama government,” he said.
He added while the NPP introduced funding sources to take care of the policy, the NDC has brought none and yet has introduced dozens of modules “just to create loot and share.”
“We call on the government to pass this test of corruption for once by implementing the action paper they have issued and ensure that those who have caused financial loss to the country face the music,” he said.
