More than 300 staff of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) say they have not received salaries for the past ten months and are appealing to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene to prevent what they describe as “inhumane treatment” by their employer.
Speaking at a press conference in Kumasi on Wednesday (8 October), the aggrieved workers, who claim to have been made permanent employees in November 2024 after years of service on contract, said the non-payment of their salaries has left many of them in distress.
“Affording even one square meal a day has now become extremely challenging. Some of us now sleep in hunger with our families,” one of the affected staff said, reading from a statement on behalf of the group.
“A colleague recently almost committed suicide, and others are battling with stroke.”
The group said they were duly employed through the Public Service Commission (PSC) after undergoing interviews, with both technical and financial clearance obtained from the Ministry of Finance. Appointment letters were issued on 29 November 2024, effective 1 December 2024.
However, since then, the workers say no salaries have been paid despite assurances from the new CEO, Malik Basintale, who confirmed during a virtual meeting in February that their appointments were valid.
According to the workers, Mr. Basintale had indicated that a few irregularities in the recruitment process would be audited, and that those who were cleared would be paid. The audit reportedly took place in March 2025, but the agency has since remained silent on its findings.
The staff said they had made several attempts to resolve the matter internally, including writing directly to the CEO and later through their lawyer, but no formal resolution has been communicated.
“We are starving,” the statement read. “Our salaries have been our main source of livelihood since 2017. Our children have been sent home from school, and our marriages are breaking down due to our inability to provide for our families.”
They accused the agency’s leadership of deliberately frustrating them, questioning whether it was a “crime to want to serve your country.”
The group has now made a direct appeal to President Mahama to step in.
“Mr. President, we know you are a kind and compassionate leader. Please hear our cry and intervene. We are suffering with our families,” the statement concluded.
The Youth Employment Agency, which operates under the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, is yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
