About 300 staff of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) say they have been forced to depend on their spouses, friends, and menial jobs to survive following a ten-month delay in the payment of their salaries.

The affected workers, who were permanently employed in November 2024 after serving as contract staff for periods ranging from two to eight years, say they have been at posts since December 1, 2024, but have not received any salary since their appointment took effect.

Speaking at a press conference in Kumasi, Convenor for the Concerned Staff, Osei Yaw Akoto, said the situation has left many of them in financial distress despite having completed all necessary public service procedures, including technical and financial clearances.

He revealed that the Agency has cited an ongoing audit process as the reason for the delay — a justification the affected staff say can no longer hold given the length of time involved.

“Some of us have to do menial jobs after our official work. Others engage in construction work or ride okada to survive,” Mr Akoto lamented.
“Those of us whose wives are working,we depend on them for survival. Others rely on the benevolence of friends and family members. You can imagine the pain we are going through. It hasn’t been easy at all.”

Mr Akoto said the staff, drawn from all 16 regions, have exhausted all internal mechanisms to get their concerns addressed, but to no avail.

“We are people of law. We don’t want to drag the Agency’s name into disrepute,” he stressed.
“We have written several letters and appealed through various channels — to the Chief Imam, Manhyia, the Parliamentary Caucus, and even the Sector Minister — but all efforts have fallen on deaf ears. That is why we’ve gathered today.”

The convenor explained that the press conference had the full consent of members across the country and that evidence of their membership list was available to support their claims.

“We have the consent of our members across all 16 regions. The list was on the table; we can use that as evidence. We are only convenors organising this press conference on their behalf,” he added.