13TH MARCH, 2015.
Indeed the people must first of all be educated on what the various protocols of the African Union are in order for them to help in achieving such protocols.
We at the National Union of Ghana Students(NUGS) are very happy to be part of this event, an event which we hope will not just be one of those programs that will end up on paper or in Accra, but will be practicalised on the ground and also spread across the country. We are all aware that most programs end up in Accra, and also as a country with many nice policies that never see light of day. I hope we will be guided by the above in working on this campaign.
Mr. Chairman, there is no doubt that, Africa Union as a body has a number of charters, but progress cannot be measured according to the number of charters that it has, but rather the level of impact made in the lives of its people. The youth, women and children are the major sufferers when it comes to negligence on the part of governments to make resources available for their development. For the purposes of this speech, I intend to focus on youth oriented issues. It looks as if the only time the youth exist is when it is time for political campaigns and elections, but let me be quick to say that what the youth need from our leaders, is partnership and not promises.
According to the 2010 population and housing census, Ghana has a youthful population, with about 75% below 35 years.
The youth can be a great asset to the development of any country if their energies are properly harnessed, they can also be great liability if we do not make the conscious effort towards their development.
Among the numerous challenges that confront the youth is the widespread generational gap making it difficult for the youth to be understood by the older generation for youth developmental issues to be addressed collectively.
Again, the rate of unemployment is a great challenge for the youth of today. Even those who struggle to secure employment work under vulnerable conditions. Marginalization from decision making makes it difficult for the voices of the youth to be heard. Indeed, we cannot as a country hope for a better Ghana and future if we do not commit time and resources towards youth development in an era where the youth are no more just considered as the future leaders but also as the leaders of today whose contribution is needed in every facet of our national life.
Mr. Chairman, there is the national youth policy, which lacks commitment from stakeholders for awareness creation and implementation. For instance, the national youth policy, just like other national policies has had its fair share of political masturbation from various political parties before it was finally launched in 2010. It took us close to 5 years to launch its implementation policy. That is how pathetic the situation has become when it comes to our commitment towards the development of the youth. Ghana has also ratified the African Youth Charter which was launched in July 2006 in Banjul, Gambia by African Heads of States and Governments, and 9 years down the lane not much is known about its purposes and intended action. The attempt by various governments to put in place the National Youth Parliament has also failed. What a pity?
Mr. Chairman, it is an undeniable fact that the Youth and Sports Ministry of Ghana only focuses its attention and resources on sporting activities to the neglect of the general youth development. I think if the Ministry of Youth and Sports is to leverage its focus towards youth development just as it does when it comes to sports, our country will be considered extremely blessed. I think that the Youth Ministry should be decoupled from the sports ministry. This will perhaps make it focus the attention on the developmental needs of the youth. The commitment of our various governments towards youth development is questionable, and many instances can be cited. For instance, the mandate of the National Youth Authority board which expired as far back as 2012 has still not been reconstituted. This is a board that is supposed to serve as a liaison between over 50% of the citizens of this country, government and other youth groups outside the country.
Partnerships among youth development actors like the government, the private sector, civil society, academia, international bodies, philanthropists and the media can help increase opportunities for success by leveraging comparative advantages of resources and shared interests.
I believe that, the most appropriate approach to addressing youth development issues by any stakeholder will be the formation of a strong synergy with the young people themselves, their leaders and groups. This will not just make the youth an integral part in decision making but will most importantly prepare them to take over from the older generation there by helping close the generational gap that exists between them and the older generation. This will further help erase the misconception about young people that they are aimless and always want to be spoon-fed.
Mr. Chairman, as the President of NUGS, I cannot end this speech without talking about the challenges that confront us relative to quality education. The story of our educational structure is one of a worry and we must all be concerned. We live in a country where people do not get commensurate value for the investments they have made in education. Access to quality education is becoming a mirage. Unfortunately for us, our economic structures and our educational system are in parallel. In every sane society, these two structures are to be in tandem.
I have said it on different platforms, that we do not have anything to restructure when it comes to our educational system, what we need is a complete change. Ideally, the educational structure of every country is supposed to stem from the vision, mission and the aspirations of the people. We live in a country where our educational system and almost every aspect of our economy are subjected to political parties’ manifestoes. This is certainly not the best way forward. Continuity is lacking in our body politics. We need to change our ways.
In conclusion, I dare say, having an African dream is not enough, and believing in the African dream is also not enough, what we need most is making the African dream work. We can make the needed difference. Indeed, this is “My African Union” and there can be no better “Voice” than this.
Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment