A group calling itself, Mass Action Committee, has commended President John Mahama for suspending an advertisement seeking to engage new service providers to manage a new ICT module under the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA).

According to the group, a recent job advertisement by the Agency flouts recommendations of the committee set up by the Youth and Sports Ministry.

Authorities at GYEEDA placed adverts in the Daily Graphic requesting for bids to run the agency’s ICT module.

This generated some controversy after a similar module under GYEEDA dubbed Youth in ICT hit a snag.  The service provider, Rlg Communications Limited trained only 4,222 out of 15,000 youth. The company has been ordered to pay GHC 25.5 million after a value for money audit was conducted by the Sports Ministry.

Pressure Group, Mass Action Committee, issued a statement and gave the Agency one-week ultimatum to withdraw the advert or face their wrath.

Base on this backdrop, government in a statement, ordered authorities of GYEEDA to withdraw the advert.

The statement signed by Information and Media Relations, Mahama Ayariga, said, “the request for proposals to implement an ICT model presently being advertised by GYEEDA is therefore without authorization and should be withdrawn.”

Expressing gratitude, spokesperson for the group, Atik Mohammed, commended President Mahama for acting proactively on the issue.

He noted that the presidential order shows “his [Mahama] commitment and belief in GYEEDA’s success and sustainability still remain unshaken”.

“We are passionate about this action because it will solve the youth unemployment in the country if implemented well. We are grateful to the president for acting promptly to our call”, he noted.

Atik Mohammed also a Policy Analyst of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) urged GYEEDA to work assiduously for the Action Plan aimed at tackling the structural, institutional and legal weaknesses of the agency before rolling out new modules.

He stressed the need for all modules under GYEEDA to be suspended until a legal framework, which he described as crucial to outline the mandate of the agency, is put in place.

Atik Mohammed pledge his group’s support to government's efforts in ensuring the revival of GYEEDA is successful.