The National Youth Authority (NYA) has organised Training of Trainers (TOT) programme for some selected youths drawn from all the fifteen municipalities and district assemblies (MDAs) in the Upper East Region aimed at forming youth parliament models in all the MDAs in the region.
Those who received the training are expected to go back to their respective MDAs to also train and form the youth parliament models which are supposed to be inaugurated by the end of March this year.
Facilitating the training programme in Bolgatanga on Friday, the Director of Operations and Programmes of the NYA, Mr Mumuni Sulemana, explained that the rationale for the training and the formation of the youth parliament models across all the MDAs in the country was to empower the youth to participate actively in the decision making process of the nation.
He attributed the spate of demonstrations and strikes often embarked upon by the youth in the country as the result of not creating political space for them to also participate in the decision making process of the nation.
The Director of Operations and Programmes stated that after the training and formation of the youth parliament models, duty bearers would be summoned by the youth parliament models to account for their stewardship.
He added that the youth parliament models would also serve as an advocacy tool for the youth to champion developmental agenda in their respective areas.
Mr Sulemana indicated that the youth parliament models that were piloted in the Upper West Region in 2010 had led to the youth in the area using the platforms to hold government functionaries accountable.
This, he indicated, had led to the completion of certain government infrastructure that were abandoned some years back and making departmental heads live up to their responsibilities and task.
Mr Sulemana stated that the youth parliament model would also help build the capacity of the youth who intend becoming future parliamentarians and to help serve the training cost of new parliamentarians.
He stressed that the youth parliament model would not only create room for the youth to be involved in running the affairs of the nation, but would also help them to play significant role in the attainment of the sustainable development goals.
The Director of Operations and Programmes stated that the youth parliament model would also be formed at the regional and national levels apart from the district levels as well as in the secondary and tertiary institutions.
He hinted that the President would be made to address the national youth parliament dubbed: ‘State of youth affairs’ in future, where the youth would have the opportunity to quiz him.
FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, BOLGATANGA
