Ho West MP urges creation of cottage industries

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho West Constituency, Mr Emmanuel K. Bedzrah, has pointed out that the solution to the rural-urban migration is to create cottage industries in the villages.
Mr Bedzrah explained that most of the youth migrate to the cities because they want jobs, so “if these jobs can be provided for them in their towns and villages they will have no reason to come to the cities, particularly the capital”, he added.
The MP for Ho West was speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview where he underscored the importance of providing the youth in the villages with employable skills.
Mr Bedzrah said his main priority would be to provide the youth with job avenues not only in Accra. “You will be surprised where most of these youth sleep in the cities most of whom have comfortable places in their home towns”, he stated.
Mr Bedzrah said development could only take place if majority of the youth were employed.
Outlining how he was going to achieve this, he said he would partner vocational schools to provide vocational training for the youth in his constituency.
Those who might not have the opportunity to undergo the training but are already in a trade will be helped with loan facilities to help them expand their businesses.
Mr Bedzrah also said he would be in contact with the chiefs in the area to make land available for the youth in agriculture project that would start soon in the constituency.
The member again said there were some tourism centres in the constituency and he intended to link up with the Minister for Tourism on possible ways of developing them into income- generating activities for the youth in the area.
He therefore called for the support of all stakeholders, particularly community-based organisations to help to achieve this agenda for the community.
“As the government is putting in place the needed learning environment I also want to advise the youth in the constituency to take their education seriously”, he admonished.