Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as Chairman COKA, has pledged that a future NPP administration would prioritize youth empowerment and employment creation. Speaking during a thanksgiving tour by the newly elected Ashanti Regional executives of the party at churches in the region, Mr Appiah outlined issues that would receive attention under a future NPP administration. He also appealed for prayers and support for the party ahead of the 2028 general election.
Mr Appiah accused the governing National Democratic Congress of falling short of its commitments to provide employment opportunities for Ghana’s young people. He expressed confidence in Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s prospects of becoming the party’s presidential candidate and eventually serving as President. Mr Appiah called on churches to pray for the NPP as it prepares for the next national election. His remarks were made in the context of the party’s ongoing internal reorganisation and preparations for 2028.
A central issue raised by the Ashanti Regional Chairman was employment for the country’s youth. He said a future NPP government would place greater emphasis on creating opportunities that enable young people to secure jobs and improve their economic prospects. This pledge comes as the NPP’s newly elected regional leadership begins its organisational work ahead of the 2028 general election. The regional executives were elected in August as part of the party’s nationwide reorganisation.
Mr Appiah also raised concerns about what he described as restrictions on the expression of views on national matters. He alleged that citizens were increasingly facing arrest over opinions they expressed. A future NPP administration would protect freedom of expression, he said. “If you express your view in Ghana today and you are not careful, the next thing is you will be arrested. We no longer have the right to express our views freely,” he stated.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman also turned his attention to the Computerised School Selection and Placement System. He criticised what he described as difficulties confronting some Junior High School graduates seeking admission to second cycle institutions. Mr Appiah claimed that some students who had completed Junior High School were still at home because they had not secured placement. Official figures from the 2026 placement exercise show that 527,932 candidates secured placement into Senior High Schools.
The Ghana Education Service and Ministry of Education reported on September 7 that 87.3 percent of the 604,567 qualified candidates had secured placement. A further 76,635 qualified candidates had not been automatically placed, largely because of high demand for Category A schools. The official Computerised School Selection and Placement System provides a self-placement process for candidates who were not automatically placed.
Since assuming office, the new regional leadership has moved to establish specialised working committees covering areas including law, academia, business, health and public administration. The thanksgiving engagements provided the newly elected regional executives with an opportunity to interact with religious communities while outlining the political priorities they intend to advance as the party prepares for the next general election.
Key points
- Chairman COKA pledges to prioritize youth empowerment and employment creation under a future NPP administration.
