The Minister of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Moahmmed Muntaka Mubarak, has said there are too many ghost names on the payroll of the National Youth Employment Programme. He said although the roll indicated there were 62,000 people under the programme, a careful look at the actual numbers showed the number of employees was far less. Speaking to Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, Alhaji Mubarak said efforts were being made to streamline the programme. According to him, poor supervision was also making it impossible for the programme to achieve its intended objectives. Commenting on the challenges of financing the NYEP, he said revenue generated from the talk-time-tax was a ready source of funding for the programme. Alhaji Mubarak believes there should be exit plans for employees of the NYEP where those who lack the necessary results in their courses of study should be supported to re-sit their exams. With the requisite qualification, they should be able to pursue higher academic programmes in higher institutions of learning. He cited the health assistants’ module of the NYEP for example, saying qualified students should be considered first in admitting students into nursing training colleges. The community protection assistants, he argued, should also be given due consideration when recruiting policemen. H said the NDC government hoped to increase the number of employees under the programme to about 500,000. Alhaji Mubarak, who is also the Member of Parliament for Asawase, said his aim was to give the youth of Ghana hope. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline