Our greatest and mutual enemiesin Ghana and across Africa are poverty, illiteracy and disease. These enemiesare no respecter of age, tribe, religion, region, inter alia. However, they hitsome regions harder than they do to others. We have not relented in our effortsin fighting them.

In this fight, age isunimportant. We need leaders who will stop at nothing in their bid to help themasses. We need committed and people-centered leaders, not leaders who neverthink beyond their family and friends. We need leaders who see leadership as acall to serve, not to be served. We need leaders who are selfless and who don’tseek to operate on the “benefits principle”. And these leaders don’tnecessarily have to be people who fall out of the “youth bracket”. In theyouth, we can find the estimable qualities the elderly have. This is why we donot have to have qualms about appointment of the youth into leadershippositions, be it political or apolitical.

Fortunately, due to theintertwined nature of our enemies, one beautiful way to tackle them iseducation. The more people get educated, the more illiteracy gets reduced, themore poverty we alleviate, and the healthier society gets. The whole countrybenefits because we all become a happier people. And so when leaders chalksuccesses at improving educational levels, they deserve commendation. Theirgood works should not go unnoticed. We should use their achievements tochallenge their successors, and future leaders in general.

Last weekend, the Gonjaland YouthAssociation (GYA) held its 33rd Annual Congress. At the occasion,the National President of GYA, Alhaji Ahmed Ewura, acknowledged that theSawla-Tuna-Kalba District had performed so remarkably in the 2007 and 2008Basic Education Certificate Examination. The District had leapfrogged from anationwide rank of 44 to an enviable 16th position, a position thatsaw the District as the BEST IN THE THREE NORTHERN REGIONS! Incredible!Awesome! Marvelous!! (Sorry I’m going crazy, it’s because I come from thatDistrict, and had my elementary education there!).

The Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District wasamong the 28 new districts created in 2004 from the then 110 Municipal and DistrictAssemblies. It was carved out of the Bole District. When Former President J. A.Kufuor appointed Hon James Kipo Sunyehzi (who was then under 30years of age) asthe District Chief Executive, many did not see the wisdom in it. They criedfoul. They said Hon. James was “too young”. They also said he had just finishedschool (his MBA from the University of Ghana, Legon) and was“inexperienced”. Some of his contenders had advanced degrees and PhDs, and hadbeen working for so long a time, and seemingly had more experience, and so on.But the former President did not budge! So James took office in 2005.Regrettably, he is now “former DCE”.

It is so satisfying to note thatin less than 5 years, the District has risen this fast and high. Whilecongratulating the pupils, parents, teachers, and educational workers of theDistrict, it is worth mentioning that the success could not have been withoutthe exemplary leadership of Hon James Kipo. As a way of fighting poverty,illiteracy and disease, and enhancing the general development of the people,James initiated a move in which students who obtained a DISTINCTION in the BECEhad their first year high school fees reimbursed by the district. He also, incollaboration with the District Director of Education, visited various schoolsunannounced, and teachers who were not at post without permission were queriedand/or sanctioned. At various durbars and occasions, especially those thatinvolved students, Hon James would yell “There is no shame in coming from apoor background; the real shame is sitting down and doing nothing about it!” Hemade students to understand that the one sure way to fight poverty is to go toschool. So it was little wonder that the District became the BEST in the threeNorthern Regions. A standard has been set. The least we expect from hissuccessors is to live up to the task if they can’t go over and above it.

What the privileged youth who getappointed to leadership positions must know is that they have to performwell. Just as diversity in tribe,religion, region, political persuasion, etc is beautiful if we unite as a country(what is phrased unity in diversity), and can be a powerful too for nationaldevelopment if we harness it well, diversity in age is awesome! The youth haveto work in ways that will give every reason for their consideration in allrealms of national development effort.

God Bless Us All

Iddisah Sulemana

The University of Akron,Ohio,USA

iddisah@gmail.com