Monrovia, September 9, 2023:- In a stark indictment of the George Weah-led Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government, Liberia’s youths are being left behind, abandoned and discarded as waste products of a failed system. The administration’s inability to attract investments and create employment opportunities has plunged a growing number of young people into a downward spiral of unemployment, drug abuse, and desperation. Our Senior Staff Writer reports.
The once-promising future for Liberia’s youth has been shattered under President Weah’s administration, as the number of disillusioned and wayward youths continues to rise alarmingly. With no means of survival, many university graduates have been left with no choice but to turn to sport gambling and selling mobile phone tokens, in a desperate attempt to make ends meet and escape the clutches of poverty.
Unemployment rates among the youth have reached staggering levels, as the government’s failure to stimulate the economy and attract significant investments has resulted in a dearth of job opportunities. As a result, an increasing number of young Liberians find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle of hopelessness, resorting to drug abuse as a means of numbing their pain and frustration.
The absence of sustainable employment prospects not only jeopardizes the livelihoods of Liberia’s young population but also hampers the nation’s overall progress. With a significant portion of the country’s human potential rendered idle and disenchanted, Liberia is squandering its greatest asset – the energy, creativity, and ambition of its youth.
Critics argue that President Weah’s government has failed to implement effective policies and initiatives to encourage investment and foster economic growth, leaving the youth to bear the brunt of this systemic neglect. The lack of strategic planning, coupled with a dearth of vocational training programs and job creation schemes, has left an entire generation on the fringes, struggling to find purpose and hope.
A United States Ten Million project launched by the President and his officials to revert the ever growing waywardness of the young people has since failed. The project had not gotten of the ground when news broke that the CDC Government has allegedly corrupted and stole an initial amount of US$2 Million which was contributed by the International community as its initial support to the proposed rehab center for the youth.
Civil society organizations and concerned citizens have been calling on the government to urgently address this crisis, urging President Weah to prioritize the needs of Liberia’s youth and take immediate action to reverse the tide of despair. They highlighted the importance of investing in education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship programs that can empower young Liberians and equip them with the skills necessary to secure a brighter future.
As Liberia’s youth population grows increasingly disillusioned, there is a pressing need for the government to acknowledge its failures and take swift, decisive action. Without substantial efforts to attract investments, foster economic growth, and prioritize the well-being of its young citizens, Liberia risks squandering its potential and perpetuating a cycle of despair for generations to come.
Now that elections are pending, the very government which failed the young people, are turning to them for votes and has been entising them with cash and beautifully designed T-Shirts, and free transportation to stimulate and luring them in giving them a second term.
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