A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ayisha Alhassan, has challenged the job creation claims of New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, stating that his assertion of generating approximately 2.1 million jobs since 2017 contradicts official unemployment statistics from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
Alhassan, speaking on TV3, questioned the credibility of Vice President Bawumia’s figures, pointing to the GSS report indicating 1.3 million unemployed youth aged 15–35. She labeled Bawumia’s job creation narrative as inconsistent and fabricated.
“If you lie about creating 1.2 million jobs, the unemployment rates will expose you. The Ghana unemployment rate went up from 1.2 to 1.3 million, yet Alhaji Bawumia says he has created 2.1 million jobs,” she remarked.
“When you lie about creating 1.2 million jobs, the unemployment rates will expose you. The Ghana unemployment rate went up from 1.2 to 1.3 million, yet Alhaji Bawumia says he has created 2.1 million jobs.
“As for the stories about job creation, I don’t even want to go into the inconsistencies because previously, it was 5.3, then it moved to 2.3, and now we have 2.1 million jobs. I don’t know if they concoct those figures to come and announce to us,” she stated.
Ayisha Alhassan argued that genuine job creation would manifest in economic improvements such as enhanced economic growth, reduced interest rates, and increased tax revenues.
Contrary to this, she highlighted the current economic challenges of high inflation, debt, and fiscal deficits.
“If you have created 2.1 million jobs, it should reflect in the economy, as it will mean that a lot of economic activities will be going on. There would be a beef up in economic growth. Your interest rates would positively reflect it. Unfortunately, all economic indicators are pointing down south. They do not support any of these rhetoric,” she added.
Vice President Bawumia had proclaimed the creation of around 2.1 million jobs, covering both formal and informal sectors, during a lecture on February 7.