AUDIO: THE GYEEDA SCANDAL Documentary

Acting on the advice of the National Security Council, the Government of Ghana initiated the National Youth Employment Programme in 2006 to help deal with youth unemployment, which had become a national security threat. It was renamed the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) in 2012. A chunk of state funds was devoted for the programme. For instance, between 2009 and 2012 almost ONE BILLION GHANA CEDIS or nearly $500million (per the exchange rate at the time) was spent on GYEEDA.

In 2013, Manasseh Azure Awuni, a reporter for Joy FM conducted a comprehensive investigation in the operations of GYEEDA and uncovered massive corruption in the institution, which led to policy change in the running of the agency. The government set up a five-member committee to probe the allegations further. The committee’s report corroborated Manasseh’s findings and made various recommendations to government. As part of the reforms which resulted from work, Parliament passed a law to regulate the operations of GYEEDA, which was later renamed Youth Employment Agency (YEA). His investigation also led to the cancellation of all GYEEDA contracts with service providers, except the contract with Zoomlion Limited. This saved the nation millions of cedis every month. Some officials were also dismissed while others were prosecuted.