MEMBERS of the Federation of Youth Assembly of Ghana, a youth development advocacy group, were yesterday prevented from meeting with Members of Parliament to question the MPs on what they consider as Parliament’s delay in passing the Youth Policy Bill.
The youth wearing T-shirts with the inscription like “Implement now , or”, were turned away because their intention was not communicated to the Public Affairs Department of Parliament for approval.
The president of the group, Dennis Ofosu-Appiah, who later addressed the press, deplored the fact that 17 years into the Fourth Republic, Ghana, as a nation, had not implemented any youth policy.
He said even though successive governments had implemented various interventions to address concerns of the youth, the complexity of challenges that affected young people, demanded a well co-ordinated state policy.
Giving a background to their concerns, Mr Ofosu-Appiah recalled that on July 21, 1999, the government launched a youth policy but it was suspended in 2001 for a review which the government said, would make it “more relevant to the young people of Ghana”.
The review took about seven years culminating in the approval of a new youth policy in December 2008.
“To out surprise, paragraph 790 of the 2009 Budget statement spoke of the NDC government’s intention to review the 2008 approval policy instead of implementing it,” he said.
The question is: “when will this cycle of review end?”
Mr Appiah said the youth were not happy because there was no indication of the commitment of both NPP and NDC, to youth development.
As a result, he said more young people had been forced into criminal and other anti- social activities, with most of them finding themselves in jail.
“We think, as a matter of urgency, specific actions should be taken to implement the youth policy.
The future of the nation depends on the investment we make in the youth,” Ofosu Appaih said.
The youth wearing T-shirts with the inscription like “Implement now , or”, were turned away because their intention was not communicated to the Public Affairs Department of Parliament for approval.
The president of the group, Dennis Ofosu-Appiah, who later addressed the press, deplored the fact that 17 years into the Fourth Republic, Ghana, as a nation, had not implemented any youth policy.
He said even though successive governments had implemented various interventions to address concerns of the youth, the complexity of challenges that affected young people, demanded a well co-ordinated state policy.
Giving a background to their concerns, Mr Ofosu-Appiah recalled that on July 21, 1999, the government launched a youth policy but it was suspended in 2001 for a review which the government said, would make it “more relevant to the young people of Ghana”.
The review took about seven years culminating in the approval of a new youth policy in December 2008.
“To out surprise, paragraph 790 of the 2009 Budget statement spoke of the NDC government’s intention to review the 2008 approval policy instead of implementing it,” he said.
The question is: “when will this cycle of review end?”
Mr Appiah said the youth were not happy because there was no indication of the commitment of both NPP and NDC, to youth development.
As a result, he said more young people had been forced into criminal and other anti- social activities, with most of them finding themselves in jail.
“We think, as a matter of urgency, specific actions should be taken to implement the youth policy.
The future of the nation depends on the investment we make in the youth,” Ofosu Appaih said.
