Ghanaians Want Jobs, Not Just Shifts – Political Scientist on 24-Hour Policy

Political scientist Dr. Joshua Jebunie Zaato has raised concerns about the implementation of the 24-hour economy initiative launched by the John Mahama-led administration.

Dr. Zaato argued that while incentives are necessary, they are not enough to justify around-the-clock operations for every institution.

“Incentives alone are not sufficient to operate a 24-hour economy.

“There must be the need for the service being rendered by the organisation to warrant a 24-hour operation,” he stated on TV3’s KeyPoints on Saturday, July 6.

He further pointed out that the campaign message around the policy, particularly the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) 2024 slogan “one job, three shifts”, has not been clearly reflected in the policy’s rollout.

“Ghanaians are rather interested in how this policy will address unemployment because that was the main selling point of this policy,” Dr. Zaato added.

In response, the CEO of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, rejected claims that the 24-hour policy lacks direction or inclusivity.

He explained that consultations with civil society organisations (CSOs) and sector experts were held prior to the launch.

“President Mahama reached out to experts and CSOs on how to roll out the policy,” Edudzi clarified.

He also reaffirmed that the “one job, three shifts” framework remains central to the initiative, despite its absence from the launch narrative.

“The three-shift system is very much part of the newly launched policy,” he said, citing the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority’s (DVLA) pilot 24-hour service at its Adenta office as a practical example.

The issues highlighted by Zaato are valid, especially given how the previous administration under Nana Akufo-Addo misled Ghanaians with various initiatives such as the 1D 1F policy.

These initiatives were intended to create jobs and reduce poverty.

However, nothing materialized, shattering the hopes of Ghanaians.

Source: Liberalprint.com