The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has dismissed media reports suggesting that about 300 of its staff across the country have gone unpaid for ten months, describing the claims as “factually inaccurate.”
The Director of Corporate Affairs, Suadique Musah, in a statement on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, said all legitimate employees have been paid up to date, dismissing allegations of neglect.
“It is important to note that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of YEA, Mr. Malik Basintale, assumed office in February 2025. It is therefore factually inaccurate for any group to allege that the CEO has failed to pay them for ten months, when he has been in office for only eight months,” the statement said.
According to YEA, Mr. Basintale inherited an existing payroll that was reviewed and approved by the Board upon his assumption of office.
“Since February 2025, all staff members captured on the official payroll have been paid consistently up to September 2025. No individual whose name was duly verified and approved has been left out of the payroll,” it added.
The Agency further explained that a staff audit was conducted earlier this year as part of efforts to promote transparency and accountability within the institution.
The exercise, management noted, was not punitive but aimed at ensuring that only legitimate employees remained on the payroll.
“In keeping with transparency, management undertook a comprehensive staff audit earlier this year to ensure that only legitimate employees are maintained on the payroll. This exercise, far from being punitive, was to protect the integrity of the Agency and safeguard public funds,” YEA stated.
Touching on contract-related issues, the Agency said some employees whose contracts had expired before the new CEO took office were advised to reapply for renewal through their directors.
“Those whose contracts were renewed have since been placed on the payroll,” the statement clarified.
YEA also expressed concern about the wider issue of youth unemployment and its associated hardships, including reported suicide attempts.
It said the Agency remains committed to creating sustainable opportunities for Ghanaian youth.
“Management views with deep concern reports of hardship, including alleged cases of suicide attempts among Ghanaian youth arising from unemployment pressures. It is precisely for this reason that YEA continues to pursue every possible avenue to create sustainable opportunities for young people across the country,” the statement read.
The Agency assured the public that it continues to uphold accountability and protect the welfare of its personnel.
“At no point has the Agency deliberately neglected its verified staff or failed in its obligation to pay those legitimately captured on its payroll,” it stressed.
