Chronicles Of A Youth No Less An Adult: NYA Need No Further Sarcasm

Ras Mubarak

Dear Mr Mubarak

Truly,

I am not a fan of African leadership, particularly political leadership. This has not been my posture to underscore my cynicism of African progress nor dislike for democracy. It is my natural and utter disgust for failure and non-transformational leadership that such democratic pursuit has offered ordinary Africans over the years.

This I know you know. In any case I wouldn't also blame you if you do not know. After all you claim to be in politics because you love public service. Not because the plights of the many Ghanaians have come to be familiar with has given you reason to serve. Get me no wrong. It's not my own assertion, I gathered from your personal website.

Going further Brother Mubarak, I have also had the chance to dislike African presidency and governance. That of Mama Joyce's presidency has been one of my very displeased. After several years of assuming varied roles in Malawi's political journey, she suddenly becomes president only to be incognisant of Malawi. That she has suddenly forgotten Malawi, as one of the poorest countries in the world ranking 160th out of 182 countries on the Human Development Index. And that unless she spends the taxpayers money, she will remain a stranger to the plights of a country she has served in varied capacity as a minister and for 3 years as the second in command prior to assuming her presidency, so she moves from house to house just to identify with the challenges of the ordinarily Malawians. Today in a country where about 75% of its 15.8million population (as at 2012) is reported to be living below the poverty line; an obvious indication that the majority cannot afford a decent accommodation; Mama still thinks putting one poor family, perhaps in her party, in a fine building to stamp her goodwill and please donors is any progress. So she goes about taking pictures of it for public sympathy. Clearly you cannot blame her if she goes about boosting of marginal progress. After all she is an African president.

But then Brother, you are left to wonder what has been her motivation for her long stay in politics and what issues at all she has been spending the years addressing? Or that the presidency has suddenly given her a different view of Malawi and so she needs to sit with her party grass roots and I mean the very poor to know Malawi is engulfed in poverty?

I have for yours questioned the relevance of the now National Youth Authority in the empowerment drive of young people in Ghana. I have also maintained that things for of the youth must be left to the youth and so the NYA. Just like 'political wondering' Sekou Nkrumah, I have thought of the NYA as a complete useless and a burden on youthful existence. Yet in all I have kept on hoping that it could be made to work with the right thinking, people and commitment. Again unlike Dr Sekou I wouldn't call for it to be scrapped. After all what we need is a very vibrant institution to mainstream and properly coordinate and facilitate youth activities. And so your appointment did not come to me timely but also in fulfilment of my long awaited quest. So you can just imagine. Then I had wanted to write to you. But upon a second thought I decided to give you time to at least settle and get things running with your exuberance.

But now I am compelled to write to you even if against my word; for what has become your non-challenge of the status quo in the governance pattern of this country and in particular NYA. After all it only takes a man to reverse a dreaded oracle.

Slowly but surely you seem to be proving to me that no one can run faster than his or her shadow. Or is it because you were made to swear an oath binding you to follow the laid-down rules and regulation governing the NYA as was reported.

Already you seem worried about the undue delay in the passage of the National Youth Bill. But is that not why you are the coordinator, Mr Mubarak, to make things happen without grudge. And in any case did this frustration suddenly emerge out of the voice NYA has given you or it has always been your trouble?

During your swearing in, you are reported to have said and I quote “I have always remained a passionate advocate of issues that affect the youth because if the youth are not offered the needed platform to contribute their quota to national development, the whole nation will not prosper”. If this is true and anything to go by then you are already familiar with the plights of young Ghanaians as well as the NYA, so why spent the efforts and resources moving from region to region, just to familiarise yourself with issues confronting the development of the youth in Ghana. Just like your erstwhile party fellow and former coordinator I wonder if you not by this reinventing the 'governance' wheel?

Should you travel around before you get to know that the office of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metro youth leaks profusely when it rains? And that the only centre supposed to serve the interest of young people in and around Sekondi-Takoradi is dilapidated with its side demolished for reconstruction and yet it has remained so for barely 3 years? Should you spend the time and effort you need to get things running, travelling just to know that most of the officers have far more outlived their thinking and have outstayed their time? Just to know that the youth in Ghana are not getting support for their initiative and activities? And that they are struggling to participate?

Mr Mubarak, on that same platform you are reported to have expressed worry about the increasing rate of youth unemployment in the country. Please do not tell me you have succeeded in joining your ranks and so you have become a man of worry and frustration? What about unemployment that worries you when your party is in power? Has your party and government not provided you with job? Why can't they do the same for the ordinarily youth? Why can't they find justice for the youth with the GYEEDA rot?

Again you were also told tasked to focus your attention and channel your policies and objectives towards furthering the agenda of the youth. Yet you kept silence and failed to ask if the NYA has got any relevant policy direction much to talk of a supposed youth agenda that needs furtherance. Mr Mubarak where then exist your voice or that alone was the limitation. I guess by now you are even more frustrated if not confused as to what direction to go. No wonder you have decided to embark on a familiarisation tour, at least that will give you something to do, ease you of boredom and make you no different from a politician.

You are also reported to have admonished for the youth to be employed even if without experience to prove their worth. But seriously do we need experience to prove our worth? Please don't reduce your office to a mere talk shop just to please your ego. Don't you think you should rather focus on branding the youth as people with talent, creativity, and innovation deserving opportunity, as these tools can adequately match experience, instead of 'begging' for the employment of youth as a social responsibility? Don't you know what the youth need is decent employment?

What more training and direction do we need outside education Mr Mubarak? That you have been charged to keep?

Permit if I am harsh, but truly NYA need no further sarcasm, at least not from a youth and a farmer.

What it need is;
• The people and the ability to mobilise resources outside government, develop creative but capacity building and innovative coordinating programs to enhance the effort of the various youth groups

• A functioning and well furnished and equipped offices across the country to serve as a resource centre with the ability to coordinate youth activities

• A budget that youth organisations and groups can apply to fund their activities

• The dismissal of all officers throughout the country many of whom have been at post for over a decade yet without impart. But prefer to travel on youth ticket, sleep in plush hotels, attend conferences, and return to sit in their offices to await their pay.

• A break away from partisan manipulation and 'character extortion'

Yes, these are what its needs, not your sarcasm; and this you need no travel to understand Mr. Mubarak, unless you have come to bury us?

Mr Mubarak, even before I bid you goodbye and bring my letter to a close, there is something I want you to know we share in common; we have all lost in our bid to represent and serve our society except that mine was at the district level.

Till I come to you again and which I hope will be on a good note, I remain your brother and
fellow activist, Bernard.

RAS MUBARAK