Global InfoAnalytics Executive Director Mussa Dankwah says voters now rank job creation above the economy.

Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show on January 6, during discussions on expectations for President Mahama’s second year in office, Mr Dankwah said his comments reflected voter sentiment rather than personal opinion.

“I expect them to create jobs; if you speak to voters today, the economy is no longer a threat to them. The economy is no longer the number one issue for them. It suggests that they are okay with the economy.”

He explained that voter priorities have shifted compared to the period leading up to the last election, when economic conditions dominated public discourse.

“The issue is job creation. If you look at the last election, before the election, the three top issues that bother voters was the economy, jobs, and education.”

According to Mr Dankwah, improvements in economic conditions and stability in the education sector have reduced public anxiety in those areas.

Despite progress in the economy and education, Mr Dankwah stressed that unemployment remains the most serious unresolved issue facing the government.

“On points one and three, which were the top three issues, they are having success in doing that. But the problem they have is job creation, which is the biggest threat. We've been told that it's a national security threat for many years. It still remains. A chunk of the youth have no job.”

He argued that the government must prioritise creating an enabling environment for employment and deliver tangible results, regardless of the approach adopted.

“Whatever the government needs to take to create jobs, the environment that will create jobs, they have to. There's no excuse for them. The people will be disappointed, but in the second year, if nothing happens, I can tell them for a fact.”

Mr Dankwah emphasised that job creation should be the government’s primary focus going forward, noting that voters are less concerned about how employment is generated than about seeing visible outcomes.

“So if they have any focus that they have to pay attention to, that should be job creation.
And as to how they do it, I've been hearing them talking about mechanised agriculture and stuff. I don't care what it means to get the jobs. The jobs must be there.”

He warned that while eliminating unemployment may not be realistic, measurable progress is essential to maintaining public confidence.

“They can't resolve unemployment, no. They must be seen to have made substantial improvement or gains in reducing the rate of unemployment. If they don't, that will be the biggest hurdle they have to confront next election.”