The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bunkpurugu Constituency in the North East Region, Abed Bandim, has bemoaned failure by successive governments to prioritise and invest in youth development to enable them participate in decision-makingto harness their potentials.
He lamented that most of the youth were taken advantage of by politicians before, during and after elections, because it was the youth politicians use to foment trouble but when they assume power, they forget about them.
“Most youth are not able to articulate what they lack to policy makers and politicians because they lack courage to fight for their rights and what belongs to them due to opportunities to strengthen their capacities, skills and knowledge so as to be responsive to challenges,” Mr Bandim observed.
He raised the concerns in Accra at a stakeholder meeting with MPs to dialogue on youth participation in decision making processes and strengthening their capacities to be responsible citizens which was organised by GH Alliance.
According to him, the youth needed to be encouraged to build their capacities to be able to achieve their goals for the betterment of the nation by rescuing her from economic doldrums saying “the reason why most of the youth cannot fight for their rights is because majority of them are uneducated, others unenlightened and also fear chastisement.
“They are not able to articulate that to policy makers, to politicians and demand what belongs to them, but we should make conscious effort to ensure we mobilise, educate, sensitise and encourage them to stand and fight for themselves but the current government has failed to encourage them to participate in decision-making,” Mr Bandim contended and attributed them to poverty, lack of proper coordination and decrease in interest in youth participation to create opportunities.
“Lack of specific laws on youth empowerment, lack of implementation of policies and laws to help in progress, growth and development of the youth for better country, lagging behind and envious about success of colleagues which is detrimental to implementing laws to help them thrive and become responsible citizens of the nation,” Mr Bandim decried.
BY TIMES REPORTER
