Minister Identifies Threats To Youth Development In Ghana

Eastern Regional Minister, Mrs. Helen Adwoa Ntoso

A minister in the present government has identified at least three major threats and three vulnerable areas of youth development presently in Ghana.

She observed that teenage pregnancy: which affects the senses of safety of the youth, unemployment: which affects the self-esteem of the youth and child labour: which affects the intellectual health of the youth are the current three threats and vulnerable to you development.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mrs. Helen Adwoa Ntoso, made the observation when addressing chiefs and people of Okuapemman Association of USA and Canada [OKUSACA] in Newark-New Jersey in America on August 31, 2013.

The occasion was celebration of Odwira/Ohum which was the under the theme,' Youth Development, OKUSACA'S Future' that attracted traditional chiefs or their representatives from all the five divisional clans of Okuapemman who attended the durbar to climax this year's 28th festival celebration.

According to the regional minister, data from the Ghana Statistical Service shows that 21.7 percent of the country's children are engaged in economic activities and this causes physical injuries and illnesses to the youth including muscular skeletal disorders, sprains, and strains, lacerations to the head, fractures, eye injuries and rashes.

Mrs. Adwoa Ntoso, reminded all that it was time to recognize the importance of the youth in the developmental efforts and their key internal assets including co-operation and communication, self efficacy, empathy, problem solving, self awareness and goals and aspirations.

'We have a collective responsibility to harness the internal assets of the youth for development by encouraging them in our homes to get involved in making decisions in the family, schools and in our communities' she challenged.

She disclosed that, the government is creating the enabling environment for the youth empowerment under the youth employment programme by retaining a lot of the youth in the field of agriculture, through input subsidization and capacity building.

Mr. Ken Kanda, Ghana's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, expressed the mission's joy of the contributions of Ghanaians in North America and urged all to continue doing their best in whatever business they find themselves in by being law abiding so that they can continue to enjoy the warm hospitality of their host countries.

Mr. Ken Kanda's speech was read on his behalf by Mr. R. Harry Reynolds, head of information, Ghana Mission, New York which advised the gathering not to forget to support their unfortunate brothers and sisters back home in Ghana.

He advised all Ghanaians living in any foreign destination to register with the missions so that in times of difficulty the missions can give them the necessary consular assistance.

Earlier in a welcome address, the president of OKUSACA Mr. Emmanuel Kwame Gyan, pointed out that there will be no sustainable developments in Okuapemman Traditional Area without unity, peace and tranquility in the Akuapem communities therefore urging all to come together instead of tearing themselves apart.

Accordingly, during the last past years the association has renovated the children's ward of the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital and donated computers to the Presbyterian University in Akuapem whiles other chapters donated various equipment to the hospital.

Since the association's projects are in the areas of education, healthcare, culture and youth empowerments, Mr. Kwame Gyan, said the association is raising funds to establish scholarship to support deserving students in North America from next year.

Eastern Regional Minister, Mrs. Helen Adwoa Ntoso