Youths and the African Minerals wealth
Employment is when we get people to work and engage their minds in doing useful things. As the youth population in the country forms the bulk of the Sierra Leonean society, it is good that structures are put in place to empower them in all spheres of growth and development.
This will squarely mean that youth employment becomes the centre piece in the President’s now popular the agenda for change he uses to wheel development in the country. Talking about agenda for change, have we asked ourselves how many Sierra Leonean youths are employed? Youths every where they find themselves in the world form the stake of society and as such must be given the needed attention.
They are the spindle that spins of our economic and social progress. Thus, it is imperative upon government and other stakeholders to make youth employment the crop and focus of their discussions and development endeavours in order to maintain a peaceful cohesive society and a stable economy growth.
Two weeks ago the front pages of our local tabloids have been reporting on the launch of the African Minerals and Magnetite Company at Ferengbeya, Tonkolili Districts. Reports ranging from scathing criticisms and as to the benefit the iron mining will accrue for the average Sierra Leoneans marred the front pages of some ill motivated newspapers. But the fact remains that to many frustrated Sierra Leoneans, the iron Ore mining is a welcome idea as for many youths to be employed. And the unnecessary criticisms levied against the Chief Executive Officer Frank Timis and the country Director of African Minerals Mr. Moseray Fadika have got nothing to do with the youths of this country as all what they care for is employment that will improve on their lives. But if it comes to it and the seeming opposition to the seeming opposition to these people pay in the negative way, then the interest of the youths have been tampered with and as such will hinder progress to a reasonable extent.
In fact, to many Sierra Leoneans and outsiders alike, Mr. Moseray Fadika is a role model and a true indigene, for the very fact that he has the ability to lure foreign investors to come improve on the socio-economic conditions of youths is a novel and a savored undertaken. Imagine a situation where 20,000 youths are gainfully employed in the various areas of the iron mines; it will definitely be a laudable and unprecedented achievement for this country.
Moreover, to many patriotic Sierra Leoneans who have been fortunate to meet with Mr. Fadika and have heard other people speak of him have regard for him as a hero who is desperate to hoist the country’s economic flag into the SKY. Mr. Fadika and others who are spearheading the deal of African Minerals are heroes indeed as when compared to other Sierra Leoneans who have had similar opportunities like them but they ended up investing in other countries.
Pondering over this enormous unemployment rate among youths in Sierra Leone, one’s curiosity might lead him or her as to asking whether the education acquired in schools and tertiary institutions have benefited them at all. Because at the end of every academic year, new crop of graduates add to the population of the already unemployed mass of youths which has in no smaller way compounded and exacerbated the bizarre unemployment situation in the country.
Taking a keener look at the Skyrocketing unemployment rate in Sierra Leone, government and stakeholders should see youth unemployment as a priority agendum in the agenda for change. Until that is done, the campaign for agenda for change is a futile effort that is bound towards an uncontrollable nemesis; and in the same vein also, until a vast majority of youths in Sierra Leone are gainfully employed the call for the ‘agenda for change’ can be likened to a white elephant just as we have witnessed failed government policies in the past.
Obviously, we cannot talk about agenda for change when those who deserve the change are aimlessly and hopelessly roaming the ghettoes in the country. Government should galvanize support and means to fast-track youth employment if the goals for agenda for change is to be achieved in Sierra Leone; as change is only effective when it starts with the youths.
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