Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana Rev. Dr. J.O.Y. Mante has criticised a section of the population who are against what he describes as "drastic measures" that needs to be taken to get the country's economy to a level everyone can be proud of.

He said the posturing, pushbacks, and sometimes the total rejection that greets some of those "drastic" policy proposals, are among the reasons why the country has not made huge economic progress compared to some developed countries that had similar GDP as Ghana and gained independence just about the same period.

"Around 1957, Singapore and Ghana were perhaps running the same GDP kind of thing, but then they had to take drastic measures to get there, and when we want to take measures, you'll see the same people you'll say we won't agree, we can't, we won't do…Who will do it for us? he queried.

Dr. Mante then turned his attention to the Ghanaian youth with words of encouragement and self-belief. He urged them to discard what he describes as the "psychological slavery" that has engulfed the minds of many and left them with doubts about the country ever escaping the current economic outlook, by sharing a personal life experience with participants at this year's Ghana youth congress.

"Ghana can be like Singapore," he said. But for that ambition to move beyond rhetorical to reality, however, Dr Mante called on the youth to commit to doing and taking the difficult steps first.

He also added his voice to the cliche about the need for educational reform, particularly at the university level, into one that instils the sense of entrepreneurship into graduates even before they step out of the walls of their universities.

With levels of youth unemployment increasing and posing as a threat rather than an asset to the state, Rev. Dr Mante used the opportunity to lament about the phenomenon and called on the ruling class to create an atmosphere where the youth can get meaningful jobs to contribute to the growth of the country. He lamented how disheartening it is for him anytime he sees unemployed youth among his congregation.

"One of the most painful things is, to see after Sunday's sermon, that the youth do not have jobs," he said.

He however expressed confidence in the youth who he says will rise and make Ghana a better place.

He made these observations at this year's Ghana Youth Congress at Gomoah Fetteh in the Central Region on Tuesday.