Youth urged to play active role in governance

Winneba (C/R) June 10, GNA- Mr Isaac Barlo Executive Director of Civic Responsibility Africa, an NGO has called on Ghanaians especially the youth to play active role in governance and national development.

He said it was very important for the youth to hold the government accountable and to be able to protect what belongs to the nation and

and generations yet to come.
Mr Barlo said this in a speech he delivered on: 'Achieving National Development through active youth participation,' at a day's workshop his organisation organised in collaboration with Kwame Awusi and Associate a Human Capital Development Firm in Winneba.

The workshop was on the theme: 'Sustainable National Development through active youth participation.'

It was meant to sensitise the youth to unearth their talents, develop and utilised them towards the National Development.

According Mr Barlo, the black African Continent experienced many degrading forms of human right violations, which included the slave trade, injustice against innocent people, racism and colonialism which affected their unity, culture, progress and development.

'This resulted in liberation struggles around the continent with the reason to gain their freedom, opportunity to expressed themselves without acrimony, enjoy their resources , end injustices and human right violation and also to manage their own economy and destiny.'

He asked: 'Has Africa truly succeeded in its liberation struggles, free from wars and injustices, what about hunger and malnutrition, control and managing of their own lands and resources to better their lots and is to be free from slavery and foreign dictatorship?

'The answer is no because Africa lacks true patriotic leadership,' he added.

He said as the agenda 2030 goals included, ending poverty and hunger, opportunity for better standard of living for all and for equal level of education, freedom of expression and to promote health, there was the need for the youth who were the future manpower for development to actively participate fully in National Development in achieving the said goal.

Mr David Kofi Awusi Managing Consultant of Kwame Awusi and Associate, speaking on: 'Unearthing the Potential of the Ghanaian Youth for National Development,' he said for a nation to develop there was the need for the utilisation of its people talent, capability and build them for the success of the future.

He said talents were wealth and therefore needed to be discovered, nurtured and properly used to be manifested for others to enjoy there fruits, he stated.

'We should not let what we are learning in the classroom be enough for us, I believe that classroom education sharpens us, help us to think and also open us up and… let us identify our talent and use it… since it is the easiest way to compete in the world,' he said.

He called on the government to invest in the potential of the youth for them to unearth their gifts in order to become productive citizens to help in creating enabling environment to live in.

Mr. E. K. Dadzie a medical Social Worker in Effutu Municipality who chaired the event said as a nation we could make it as others had been able to do it, 'if we change our attitude in all that we do and to let the development of the nation be our top most priority'.

GNA