NPP-USA Youth Wing Statement On NDC Policies

AND ITS IMPACT ON GHANA’S YOUTH.

Re. NDC policies are inimical to the youth of Ghana.

The Youth wing of the NPP-USA has observed with deep concern and sadness the deteriorating state of the Ghanaian youth through the actions and more aptly the inactions by the deceiving and “out of control” NDC since it assumed the reins of Government on January 07, 2009. In opposition, the out-of-control NDC deceptively made the youth of the country believe and buy into a ‘better Ghana’ agenda which has turned out to be nothing but a cliché empty on content and delivery.

After close to nine (9) months in power, the deceptive and out of control NDC has not initiated, restructured or continued with major youth policies/programs initiated by the preceding NPP government led by former President John Agyekum Kuffour. More worrisome is the glaring fact that some of these youth oriented programs by the Kuffour administration had either been abysmally mismanaged or neglected to the detriment of the future progress of our nation.

The vast majority of the youth of Ghana feeling dejected and without hope and sense of direction have been reduced to shamefully scramble for control over the operator ship of public toilets and market places and resorted to “Sakawa” to make ends meet.

It is sad to not that the National Youth Employment Program (NYEP), initiated by the NPP, to engage the services of the youth and garner their energies into national development has been politicized, with admission into the program now being purely based on political affiliation. What happened to Prof. Mills’ solemn declaration to be a “father for all”.

The deceptive NDC earlier in their administration accepted a World Bank conditionality that mandated a freeze on hiring in public/government institutions for three (3) years. They of course vehemently denied this fact in their characteristically flippant and incoherent responses to all pertinent issues that has arisen since they assumed the reins of government. This shortsightedness, (With the NDC’S bizarre macro economic policies which are anti-growth) means that the teaming number of young men and women we churn out of our tertiary institutions of higher learning will end up with very limited opportunities to engage in meaningful employment. With the economy shrinking and the private sector neglected by the “out of control” NDC, the situation is becoming precarious and totally unacceptable.

The youth wing of the NPP-USA is also very dismayed at the wrangling going on at the National Service Secretariat and thus call on the “out of control” NDC to expeditiously deal with students concerns and frustrations. The scheme which has operated for years, in our opinion, should have been depoliticized and positioned as a major mobilization tool for the youth to contribute to nation building and inculcate in them a sense of patriotism. Reports of rejection of personnel at their assigned duty post as well as personnel not knowing where they have been posted after several weeks, smacks of inefficiency disorganization and maladministration on the part of the National coordinator, Mr. Vincent Kuagbenu. The NPP-USA Youth wing, will like to plead with the President, Prof Atta Mills to personally intervene by demanding that the Minister of Youth and Sports who is directly responsible for the scheme to act with a high sense of urgency to asses and fix these operational lapses to ease the frustrations of personal who are eager to serve their motherland, Ghana.

Notwithstanding the above, the youth wing of the NPP-USA would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the nations under 20 football team; the Black Satellites for their gallantry in wining the World cup at the just ended tournament in Egypt. This unprecedented accomplishment, which is a direct result of the seeds sown by the NPP administration clearly demonstrates that given the right environment, support and resources, the Ghanaian youth, is capable of unearthing its greatest potential to contribute effectively to nation building and commandeering positive recognition on the world stage.

Long live Ghana, long live NPP and long live the NPP-USA.

James Owusu (National Youth Organizer, NPP-USA)

William K Oduro. (Dep. National Youth Organizer, NPP-USA)