Alhaji Khuzaima Mohammed Osman, the Executive Secretary of the Tijjianiya Muslims Movement of Ghana, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema that strengthening the capacity of rice and poultry farmers and others producing locally would solve the increasing unemployment rate.

He urged the government to work with Parliament to pass trade bills that would make the importation of frozen chicken costly to empower the local producers.

He expressed delight that former President John Dramani Mahama was venturing into large-scale cattle and agriculture businesses in the Savannah Region, as well as Dr. Kwame Despite and Dr. Sarpong expressing their intentions to venture into large-scale poultry farming in Ghana.

Alhaji Osman said such acts were great for the farming community and the nation at large, noting that with their huge followers and admirers, many of them would consider trying their hands at farming because of them.

He said as a poultry farmer himself; he was aware that Ghana could achieve food sufficiency if proper policies were in place.

He called for the government to negotiate with partners to add value to the country’s raw materials instead of exporting minerals in their natural forms.

The Executive Secretary of TMMG called on political leaders in West Africa to create more job opportunties to retain their bulging youth.

“Political leaders in West Africa are failing to realise that African youth are getting fed up with hopelessness in their own countries; that is why they are leaving, but the majority want to stay, work, and live in Africa.”

He expressed worry that the most perilous and unfortunate itinerary of the hopeless African youth was through the deserts of Tunisia, Algeria, or the seas of Libya or Morocco, an indication of looking for any means to leave Africa.

“Whatever policies the governments of West Africa took in the past or presently to help the youth must now go back to the drawing board because the youth are leaving their countries in numbers, and there is a reason: a lack of hope for the future.”