Former President, John Dramani Mahama has underscored the need for government to tackle the growing rate of youth unemployment in the country.

He asserts the high rate of youth joblessness is a matter of national security concern that requires serious tackling.

“Government owe it as a responsibility to do all they can to secure the peace and safety of the nation, but above all to reduce youth unemployment. This is necessary to ensure that the young people do not become easily recruitable to fill the ranks of the insurgence due to frustration and lack of opportunity”, says Mr. Mahama.

He was speaking as a special guest of honour at the 2022 Convocation at Liberty University in Michigan of the United States.

The former President while condemning the activities of Boko Haram in the sub-region revealed that the youth stand a chance of being recruited if opportunities are not created for them.

“Ghana is an Island of religious calmness in a sea of turbulence as almost all our surrounding neighbours have in recent times experienced some major form of insurgency, coup d’états or other conflicts, including religious conflicts.”

“In all these acts, one thing is clear, leadership at all levels including the family, the school, the church, the government all have the responsibility to educate and inform the impress young members of our society about the imminent threats and dangers out there”, he emphasized.

Terrorist activities happening in Sahelian countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali have become a major concern to the government, hence the need for stringent measures to ensure the safety of the citizenry.

Ghana’s security agencies have been put on high alert over threats of terrorism in the country.

The government said several efforts are underway to ensure that the country is protected from any form of attack following reports that terrorist groups are looking to expand southward, with countries such as Ghana in focus.