Let's change our attitudes to fix the country — Amasaman MP to Ghanaians

The Board Chair of the National Youth Authority (NYA) Hon. Akwasi Afrifa-Mensa has called on Ghanaians to change their attitudes in order for the country to develop.

According to him, the call by a cross section of the citizenry to fix the country begins with them.

"The Ghanaian needs an attitudinal change," he stated.

Adding, “We all Need Attitudinal Change! We need to fix our mindset. We need to fix the way we do our things; Nobody, I mean nobody, will fix our country for us if we individually don’t fix ourselves”.

He maintained that the collective actions and inactions determines the state of Ghana's development at any given time.

Hon. Afrifa-Mensa, who also doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Amasaman was speaking at the opening of the 2022 International Youth Day which also marked the first Annual National Youth Conference in the Akwapim North District.

The NYA Board Chair cataloguing among other activities militating against the development of the country indicated that "the destruction of our water bodies is something that will affect generations to come and must be resisted by all”.

He indicated that no one appears to hold himself accountable for anything in the country as Ghanaians always blame each other for misfortunes.

“Everyone seems to blame each other for our bad behaviors. The Lecturer who insists on sex from a student to pass is complaining about the rot in Ghana. The Rich Man who pays his driver GH₵300 a month, whiles his children schools abroad is complaining about the hopelessness in Ghana, the Trader who removes two bowls of rice from the bag, re-bags and sells as a 'full' bag is complaining about the wickedness in Ghana," he noted.

The Amasaman MP continued: "The Provisions Store Owner who changes the expiry dates on his products and sell same products to innocent customers is complaining, the Civil Servant who comes to work late without even being productive or adding value but rather shows up at the end of the month to receive salary is complaining about low salaries. The Student who spends the weekend partying only to start posting Instagram pictures on Monday and is always after "apor" to pass exams, is complaining that Ghana is stealing his/her dreams.”

Hon. Afrifa-Mensah insisted that until the National Young Leaders of Ghana, "appreciate that, the value of Ghana today is the average of our own individual value, we will keep messing ourselves forever. We are all architects of our economic developmental woes."

The event brought together youth activists and participants from all municipalities in the country and offered the opportunity to celebrate mainstream young voices, actions and initiatives, as well as their meaningful, universal and equitable engagement.

Read full speech below:

REMARKS BY THE NYA GOVERNING BOARD CHAIR, HON AKWASI OWUSU AFRIFA-MENSA (MP) DURING 1ST ANNUAL NATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE AND LAUNCH OF NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY

Members of the Governing Board, Ag. CEO and His Deputies, Development partners, Invited Guests, Staff of NYA, Youth groups herein present, the media, ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great joy to be here today and I thank the almighty and ever-present God for protecting you and bringing you safely.

Distinguished Guest, youth activism is expanding globally as more and adolescent people voice their opinions on critical global issues. Youth organizations and individuals are determined to be heard on critical political, social, and environmental concerns of our time, from combating racism to addressing climate change. It is for this reasons I strongly believe that occasions such as this which brings together youth activists and groups from across the country is of utmost importance and great essence.

Ladies and gentlemen, the theme for the two day dialogue is “intergenerational solidarity: creating a world for all ages” . this theme is so timely but since other speakers will touch on it, kindly permit to deviate from it and touch on this growing canter in our society which needs immediate attention. I don’t know if you taken notice of the rate of gross indiscipline in our society today. It is unthinkable and needs immediate antidote. Indiscipline today stretches from the capital city to every remote part you can think of in Ghana. The ruling and the ruled are culpable and guilty of it. There is no exception among the educated and the uneducated. The young and old are guilty of it.

There are widespread and pervasive display of indiscipline in our country, and its ripple effect on our nation is a major issue that every well - meaning Ghanaian particularly the youth, who are future leaders should be concerned. We all have to be concern about the rising tolerance for indiscipline, ineptitude, and mediocrity with its consequence deterioration of the quality of life in the country. We flout or disregard rules and regulations with impunity, dump refuse anyhow, anywhere, everywhere, park our cars at unauthorized places sometimes in the middle of a major road, trade at unapproved places all under the pretext of ignorance. We erect structures anyhow and anywhere. Security personnel tasked to ensure law and order end up receiving bribe and turned to assist the criminals . Some of our judges who are to enforce our laws are corrupt. Some of our lawyers are lawless. Some chiefs are selling land indiscriminately to more than five prospective buyers, others sells land earmark for schools, hospitals, markets, places of convivence, refuse dumps among others, which offers no benefit to their subjects. The chieftaincy institution is tainted with hostility.

The general indiscipline permeated across all aspects of our social life not leaving the hitherto disciplined professions such as the teaching, clergy, military and other security agencies.

Distinguished Guests, everyone seems to blame each other for our bad behaivour. The Lecturer who insists on sex from a student to pass is complaining about the rot in Ghana. The Rich Man who pays his driver Ghc300.00 cedis a month, whiles his children schools abroad is complaining about the hopelessness in Ghana, the Trader who removes two bowls of rice from the bag, re-bags and sells as a 'full' bag is complaining about the wickedness in Ghana. The Provisions Store Owner who changes the expiry dates on his products and sell same products to innocent customers is complaining, the Civil Servant who comes to work late without even being productive or adding value but rather shows up at the end of the month to receive salary is complaining about low salary. The Student who spends the weekend partying only to start posting Instagram pictures on Monday and is always after "apor" to pass exams, is complaining that Ghana is stealing his/her dreams.

The Driver who can't join a simple queue but keeps darting in and out of traffic is complaining about disorderliness in Ghana. Doctors/Nurses who abandon patients on the floor, directs the rich patients to their private hospitals, are complaining that Ghana is hopeless and needs to be fixed. Those who hide behind pollitics and commit atrocities against state, insults our leaders with impunity are calling for the country to be fixed.

That is how my parents, leaders, pastors, teachers and lecturers conduct themselves; everybody is doing it, has become the indefensible excuse, the order of the day for our indiscipline actions.

Mr. Chairman, It is very painful and sad that, the few disciplined ones are ironically regarded by the naughty ones as those who are behaving oddly. They are ones seen with different eye. They are nick named and frown upon by their colleagues.

Young people of Ghana, until we appreciate that, the value of Ghana today, is the average of our own individual value, we will keep messing ourselves up forever. We are architects of our economic developmental woes. The destruction of our water bodies is something that will affect generations to come and must be resisted by all.

We all Need Attitudinal Change! We need to fix our mindset. We need to fix the way we do our things. Nobody, I mean nobody will fix our country for us if we individually don’t fix ourselves.

Invited Guest, NYA as part of measures to solve some of these challenges, recently launched the Ghana youth Volunteer programme to promote the spirit of patriotism, communalism and we-feeling among the youth. I urge all of you to participate in this well-thought innovation.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we, at NYA are well abreast of the challenges that affect young people in their quest to excel in life. Youth unemployment rate currently stands at 19.7% per the population and Housing Census 2020, while our social media platforms are flooded with leaked sex videos of young people. Internet fraud, student using their fees in betting, is the order of the day, while spirit of patriotism goes colder each day.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we need to start the conversation on how we can surmount some of these challenges and pave way for a better future for ourselves as young people. Thus the active involvement of the youth as principal actors in dialogues such as these is critical in tackling some of these challenges. The National Youth Policy and its Implementation Plan when launched tomorrow will takes into account your contributions and roles as young people to ensure its successfull implementation.

I wish to pledge that the Governing Board of the Authority will fully endorse any initiative of management that seeks to promote patriotism in our youth.

I pray that, the very few youth who are here today will go back to our society as agent and ambassadors of discipline and patriotism and impact positively on the society to change the attitude of our people.

Distinguished Guest, On this note I want welcome all of you with the hope that, you will learn new things, leave this place with change minds that will build a better Ghana.