The Coalition of Unemployed Agricultural College Graduates has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government to grant financial clearance for the recruitment of thousands of qualified agricultural graduates or face nationwide demonstrations.

At a press briefing on Thursday, May 7, the coalition, made up of unemployed Veterinary, Crop, and Extension Officers from various agricultural colleges across the country, appealed to President John Dramani Mahama, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, and the Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, to urgently approve financial clearance for their recruitment under the ongoing public sector employment exercise.

According to the group, more than 1,000 qualified graduates from institutions including Animal  Health and Production College, Kwadaso College of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Ejura College of Agriculture and Mechanisation, Ohawu Agricultural College, Damongo College of Agriculture and Allied Sciences, and Wenchi College of Agriculture and Applied Technology have remained unemployed for nearly seven years despite repeated assurances by the government.

The coalition recalled that during the 37th National Farmers’ Day celebration in 2021, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo promised the recruitment of 1,100 Veterinary and Crop Extension Officers in 2022.

While acknowledging that about half of the promised personnel have been deployed, the group expressed concern over delays in posting the remaining officers, describing the situation as a threat to Ghana’s food security, livestock health, and agricultural productivity.

The coalition further indicated that the number of unemployed agricultural graduates has now risen to nearly 5,000, with more students graduating annually from the various agricultural colleges.

The group also criticised the implementation of the government’s Feed Ghana Programme, which sought to engage agricultural graduates through the National Service Scheme.

According to the coalition, the programme has been plagued by several challenges, including the failure to issue official National Service PIN codes, delays in the payment of allowances, administrative difficulties requiring monthly physical report submissions in Accra, and the rejection of some posted personnel by district offices of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture due to a lack of official communication.

They further noted that although the programme targeted 10,000 graduates, fewer than 3,000 have so far been engaged.

The coalition called on the government to transition agricultural graduates from temporary voluntary arrangements to permanent employment and ensure equal treatment comparable to recruitment processes in the education and health sectors.

The group warned that failure by the government to provide clear and actionable steps toward permanent recruitment within 21 days would compel them to embark on what they described as lawful and peaceful demonstrations.

The coalition maintained that adequate recruitment of veterinary and extension officers remains critical to strengthening Ghana’s agricultural sector and safeguarding the country’s food security.