Election 2020: Don't sell your conscience for money — youth told

Diocesan Bishop for Accra and Greater Accra Chairman of the Peace Council Rt. Rev. Samuel K. Osabutey, has urged young people to desist from violence before, during and after the elections.

Speaking in an interview at the GAP 2020, he said peace is expensive and that young people shouldn't sell their conscience for a peanut.

GAP 2020, organized by Youth In Focus, Ghana (YIFG) under the theme: "Standing in the GAP for Ghana Towards Peaceful Elections" in collaboration with the Ghana Peace Council and Dr Ebenezer Tetteh Ministries, prayed to God to intervene for Ghana to maintain the peace in this year's presidential and parliamentary elections.

Rev Osabutey said poverty shouldn't be the basis for youth to be monetarily enticed to indulge in violent activities.

According to him, hunger does not justify stealing, and that young persons shouldn't exchange their conscience for peanut.

"Sometimes we hide under this and say that people are hungry and so politicians go to them. I think it is an individual matter that is why YIFG and other related youth groups such as the Methodist youth against vigilantism is preaching that the fact that you are hungry does not mean you should sell your conscience to somebody to use you for violence. You can support any political party, you can rally behind any polical party, you can sell your ideology without involving in violence, so to say that I am hungry and therefore I needed money is neither here nor there.

"Young people have energy, young people have zeal, young people have ideas, young people are enthusiasm, young people are idealist, and these positive qualities can be channelled to proper good rather than using them as an excuse to create political unrest in the country. So my advice to young people is that, don't allow the situation you find yourself to b used to crey political violence because receiving ghc50 today to cause mayhem may land you at least 10 years in prison," he said.

He stressed, "make sure you don't sell your conscience and you don't sell your future. Be focus and expect good things from God. Your future as a youth does not belong to NDC, NPP or any polical party. It belongs to the peace we all have because without that peace your dreams will never come to pass."

He however lauded Youth In Focus, Ghana for the initiative to campaign against political violence and seek God's intervention to ensure peace in the general elections.

"It is a good course for youth to plan and say we shall not allow ourselves to be used," he said.

He emphasized, that the potentials of young people can be harnessed in positive ways.

"If politicians and leaders could use young people for negative purposes then we should also be able to redeem these young people in positive ways to use their energy, enthusiasm for positive good."

Covener for YIFG, Priscilla Mawusenam said the group have taken cognizance of the intense nature of the elections and that the least thing provocation could cause chaos, hence the move.

She advised the youth to choose peace over violence, tolerate and respect each others' opinion.

"...especially on the election day, when you go out there to vote, please cast your vote peacefully and go, and if you are interested in the counting come back in the evening and observe peacefully and then afterwards whoever is declared the winner of these elections let's all come together and support so that our nation will move on."