Adopt sustainable initiatives to tackle youth unemployment - Rev. Brew to govt
The President of the Ministers’ Conference of the Ghana Baptist Convention (GBC), Reverend Victor Brew, has urged government and other stakeholders to undertake sustainable empowerment initiatives to address youth unemployment in the country.
“As a country, we must be conscious about interventions that will empower the youth to be gainfully employed. Such sustained measures will enable them to be employed to contribute to national development,” he said.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 63rd annual refresher course, retreat and business session of the 2026 Baptist Ministers’ Conference in Ejura in the Ejura Sekyedumase Municipality in the Ashanti Region last Tuesday.
The four-day event was on the theme: “The disciple-making minister: Holy and competent, reflecting Christ to the world”.
He said betting among the youth posed a serious threat to the moral fabric of the society, saying “uncontrolled betting reflects deeper issues of unemployment, hopelessness and weakened value systems among the youth”.
He said sustainable youth empowerment, effective regulation and moral education were critical responses to the myriad of challenges confronting the youth, stressing “we need to be intentional about interventions that will prevent the youth from engaging in acts that have the tendency to jeopardise their lives”.
Screen addiction
He mentioned that screen addiction among toddlers and children had become an increasing concern, as excessive exposure to digital devices was affecting early childhood development, social skills and learning abilities.
“Therefore, there is an urgent need for parental guidance, public education and appropriate policies to ensure healthy and balanced use of technology among young children to safeguard their lives,” he said.
“It is totally unacceptable for children to spend hours on the screens of mobile phones and technology devices as it is detrimental to their academic pursuit and their health as well,” he stated.
Examination malpractice
Touching on examination malpractice, Rev. Brew said the malpractice continued to undermine the integrity of the country’s educational system, emphasising that “this practice erodes moral values, diminishes the credibility of academic qualifications and weakens the foundation of national development.
To address the issue, he mentioned strict enforcement of laws, ethical reorientation and a renewed commitment to honesty and excellence in education among students and teachers.
On road infrastructure, he commended the current government for the significant improvement in the road network along the Accra–Kumasi corridor, adding that “these developments have greatly enhanced road safety, improved mobility and contributed positively to economic activity”.
Credibility of ministry
The General Superintendent, Assemblies of God, Ghana, Reverend Stephen Yenusom Wengam, in an address on his behalf, said in an era where the credibility of ministry was increasingly scrutinised in the legal eye of the public, the call to holiness and competence in disciple-making could not be overemphasised.
The Executive President, GBC, Reverend Enoch Nii Narh Thompson, said the calling to disciple-making ministry was an incontrovertible and unalterable assignment of the church.
“The disciplined ministers must be disciplined in their lives and must stand as examples of integrity, prayerfulness, humility and obedience to God,” he said, adding, “without holiness as ministers of the gospel, our influence loses credibility”.
The Municipal Chief Executive of Ejura-Sekyedumase, Rafiu Adam Seidu, said in an age where society was confronted with challenges, including moral decline, the call to raise ministers who embodied holiness and Christ-like character was more urgent than ever.
