Expedite action on Youth Policy - Youth Associations

Accra, Sept. 27, GNA - A Committee of Youth Associations in the Greater Accra Region on Saturday called on the government to expedite action on the drafted youth policy, which it said had laid on the drawing board for far too long.

The group, which included, the La Youth Clubs Association (LAYOCA), Ashaiman Youths Association, Gbawe Youth Association, Korle Gonno Youth Association and Tema New Town Youth Association said, since it was drafted in 1999, the policy had received little or no attention whatsoever from government.

Speaking at a forum in La, Mr Michael Nii Yemofio, President of the LAYOCA, described the situation as strange saying: "The little attention clearly indicates that the youth is of no significance to any policy maker in this country."

He urged the various associations to unite in order to champion the cause and bring back what he termed the concept of empowerment to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness to fight for the enactment of the policy.

Mr Nii Yemofio said government had delayed with the reviewing of the policy as they were made to understand sometime in the past. Mr Zick Lomoh, Chairman of the Educational Committee of the LAYOCA, expressed misgivings about combining the Youth and Sports Ministry with Education and said, "this should tell us which place the youth occupy vis-=E0-vis their plight.

He said the 50 billion cedis allocated to the National Youth Fund was inadequate taking into consideration the percentage of the youth in the population.