An advocate of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), Kobina Nimako-Amprako, has laid claims to the current National Youth Employment Programme being implemented by the government. According to him, he and one Mr. Appiagyei Danka mooted the idea of the NYEP as far back as January 2001 and submitted a memorandum to President Kufuor, titled "Formation of a Unit to Speed up the Creation of Youth Employment" and a working document titled "Strategies for Youth Mobilisation and Employment" after brief¬ing the President on the issue. Mr. Nimako-Amprako, who made the claim at a press conference held in Sunyani, stated that it was their conviction that all the modules they suggested in their memo to the President was what had been captured and modified under the current NYEP modules being implemented by the government. According to the Chronicle, the NYEP advocate who made available copies of the memo, action plan and the appointment letter from the president to grant them audience, said they were disappointed by the failure of the government to acknowledge the suggestions they put across to enable government solve the youth unemployment situation in the country, although they were of the firm belief that government was using their ideas without acknowledging it. According to Mr, Nimako-Amprako, the press conference was not organised to seek any financial reward or to score cheap political points, but to draw government's attention to recognise and acknowledge them as the brains behind the NYEP. "What we want to put on record is that we have been given a raw deal, and the pain we took to come out with our proposals and the risks involved in traveling to Accra on several occasions to let the government have at least an idea of our good intentions in helping address the unemployment problems in the country have come to naught, let alone a little 'thank you' for our efforts," he stressed. Mr. Nimako-Amprako added, "It is so sad and it has happened in many instances that people who have contributed in their small measures towards the total development of this country behind the scene are never recognised but those who shout loudly get the acknowledgement reward." "Not until the country becomes appreciative of any contribution from any Ghanaian, the ideas and expertise, we need to pull together to develop this country faster would not be forthcoming," he noted. Giving the background to the claims, Mr. Nimako-Amprako said as far back as 26th January, 2001, he and his colleague, Mr. Appiagyei-Danka, went to Accra and told Mr. J.H. Mensah, former Senior Minister and now the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), that they had a message for the new NPP government and that they wanted to see the president. He said after listening to them, Mr. Mensah asked Mr. Alex Korankye, former MP for Asante Akyem South Constituency to lead them to the State House to see the President after which they had the opportunity to meet with the President on Tuesday, January 30, 2001. The NYEP advocate said after they had briefed the President, copies of the memorandum and the working document were showed to him, the President asked them to see the Minister responsible for Youth Employment, Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, who also, after having a discussion with them, directed that they sat down with Mr. Ernest Akubour Debrah, the then Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, since the two were from the region to source logistics to carry out a pilot project to form the basis for a national youth employment module. According to Mr. Nimako-Amprako, the broken lines then emerged between Mr. Debrah and Accra after they had met the latter. "It will interest you to know that all the modules we suggested in our memo are being captured or have been modernised under the current NYEP module," he reiterated, asserting that the strategic mobilisation document they had made available to the public at the press conference was what was being implemented under the NYEP without any difference. Source: The Chronicle