By Jessie Ola-Morris Samuel Obour
A video of a Ghanaian man begging his former teacher for a job has triggered reactions on social mediaThe young man, now a motor rider, met his teacher, who is now the mayor of Tamale, in town, drew his attention to who he was and appealed for a jobNetizens who saw the video expressed mixed reactions, as some sympathised with him while others urged the mayor to offer him a job
An encounter between a young man and his former teacher, who is now a mayor, has surfaced on social media.
The young man, now an Okada Rider, met the Mayor of Tamale in town and made a passionate appeal to him.
He first introduced himself and drew the mayor’s attention to the fact that he was once his student.
The mayor, interested in knowing whether the young man’s claim was true, asked him to mention some of his classmates.
When he did, the mayor informed him that a young man who bears one of the names he mentioned works in his office.
He then proceeded to make his appeal to the mayor, demanding good jobs. He told the mayor to help him and the youth of Tamale get better jobs so that they could improve their living conditions.
The mayor gave him some hope by directing him to meet in his office to discuss the matter further and explore how best he could help. However, some netizens remained unconvinced.
Watch the video of the young man and the mayor’s encounter below:
Unemployment hits hard at Ghana’s youth
Ghana is facing a growing youth unemployment crisis, with many young people struggling to find stable work despite rising levels of education and skill development.
According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), the unemployment rate in Ghana has continued to soar, with youth unemployment being the most affected demographic.
In 2024, GSS released data indicating that the average rate of unemployment in the country had risen to 14.7 per cent in the first three quarters of 2023.
How are the youth coping with unemployment?
As a result of being unable to secure their desired jobs, many graduates turn to entrepreneurship or accept positions that do not align with their academic qualifications, often leading to underemployment and lower wages.
The young man who met his former teacher, for instance, ended up taking a role as an okada rider despite having some educational background. He has something to sustain himself, although it is below what he expects as income.
Netizens divided over young man’s plea
Netizens who saw the video of the young man appealing to his former teacher for the job expressed mixed reactions. While some sympathised with him over his plea, others opined that his request would be ignored.
@BaggioKwame wrote:
“He made the police man laugh.”
@SDebarrister wrote:
“Dem no go make he see am da.”
Lady quits teaching job to sell pastries
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Evelyn Mensah, a young Ghanaian lady, unveiled that she ditched her teaching job to sell pastries on the street.
Her WASSCE performance was not good enough to continue to the university; hence applied to a vocational school to pick up some cooking skills.
The committed lady also shared that she quit her teaching job because she had no passion for it, and the salary was low.
Source: YEN.com.gh