Can This Happen In Ghana?

By: Stephen A.Quaye, Toronto-Canada.

All these while the youth are being urged to participate in political activities of the country since they will bring some new ideas as to how to develop the nation and exhibit respect for the elderly.
Looking at the way the elderly who are already in the political field are performing, it creates doubt in one’s mind that the youth would be convinced enough to get involve in politics.
The politics of insults, cheap and false propaganda, mere campaign tactics, false promises as well as political thugs which have characterize the politics in Ghana really makes it difficult for one to say the youth will get involve in politics.
Because of the way politics is practiced in Ghana these days, the stage seems set for only the old age that can attack their opponents, be bold enough to tell lies to convince the electorates which is hard for the youth to carry out.
Even look at the way some elderly persons attack authors, radio presenters, journalists for putting together news items by using unacceptable words on anchormen when commenting on webpage’s.
For a fact one can say that our people are abusing the freedom of right accorded them to also share their opinions about new items and other related articles that are presented to them.
Really, this is not how citizens out side the country behaves. In America and Canada, that is not how listening, viewing and reading public comments on issues by firing insults to people and go scot free.
Politics tastes nicely for all to enjoy by creating clean debates as well as campaigns based on achievements, facts and capability to serve the masses therefore attracting the youth to participate fully in it.
A case in point was the election of a 19 year old Pierre-Luc Dusseault, as the youngest member to ever sit in Canada’s federal parliament after emerging victories in May Federal elections.
According to the young MP, he ran a grass root campaign in the Sherbrooke University town area where he now represents in parliament which he worked hard to win and his effort bore fruits.
He took his campaign serious by hitting the streets and the parks as well as homes of the electorate where almost all the people he met called for a change asking for a young MP which made him the obvious choice.
Described as a political neophyte, he was a co-founder and president of the NDP association at the Universite du Sherbrooke, visited the House of Commons and admitted watching TV channels that broadcasts parliamentary proceedings which developed his interest to contest for the seat.
Now 20 years old, the young MP starting salary was sealed at [CANADIAN DOLLAR CD. 157,731], who said “maybe some won’t take him serious but he was ready to work hard and earn his spot”.
“In the coming months, years, I will show those who were skeptical that the youth have their place and can get the job done” was a great assurance to have come from a young law maker.
How many youth can we get from Ghana that can achieve this fete by running a grass root base campaigns to get elected to serve in the law making house as role models for others to have their place and get the job done?
Does the political system encourages the youth to get involve in politics or not? Are we making politics attractive enough to bring in our present youth or destroying it to keep them away?
It behooves on everybody to put his shoulder under the wheel to play the game of politics fairly so they can also get involve and learn something good from the elderly to keep the country running when the old are gone.
Yes this can happen in Ghana if we erase the politics of insult, pull him down campaign tactics, propagation of lies and political thugs which has characterized the country’s politics.
Let’s allow this to also happen in Ghana by giving the youth the opportunity to practice clean politics.
End.