THE YOUTH AND POLITICS

As the popular saying goes, 'Man is a political animal'. If that be the case then, the youth as a group of young people, forms an integral part of that 'political animal', in perspective.

All over the world, the youth may have shown the ability to take over the mantle of leadership from their older compatriots in the area of Science, Innovation and Information Technology but, could that assertion be made in the area of Politics? Well, your guess is just as good as mine, in this analysis!

The Ghanaian youth is not an exemption from the political analogy and experimentation, which is intended for the purpose of this write-up.

Since the emergence and inauguration of the fourth republican constitution in Ghana in the year, 1992; the various political parties have created some distinct political positions for the youth to occupy during our electoral processes and democratic dispensation, every four years. For example, youth wings of every registered political party have contested positions for the youth leadership in these parties.

In addition to the above, in our tertiary institutions, most political parties have their party youth wings' representatives among the various students bodies, like the SRCs on all campuses across the country. However, the common fear among political analysts and watchers has been that, in the process of forming these party youth bodies on campuses, successful active party members are sponsored by their political parties to contest for sensitive positions in the supposed independent Students' Representative Councils; thereby infiltrating into their ranks.

They are later transformed into rival radical opposition parties in our SRCs. No sooner have these young people been elected into office, than they start holding different opposing political views against the recognized and duly democratically elected government in power of authority. Their opposing political views are rather propagated rather than the pressing needs and general welfare of the Ghanaian student. It may interest us to note that, when their political parties eventually come to political power, they (i.e the so-called students' leaders) are rewarded with some positions of authority in government, which later suddenly change their initial radical views of the previous government. Should that be the case? Of course, not in a serious political dispensation.

Again, the youth in politics has become 'a-do-or-die-affair' or worse still, 'survival of the fittest' in our body politics, today. This is because, it is often experienced that to be gainfully, employed today as a youth, you must have been a card-bearing member of the political party in power or government, and proven to have propagated the ideals of the ruling party whilst, in opposition to the best of your ability and capacity. It is therefore, not surprising to see and hear young people venting their anger and displeasure, vehemently and vociferously, against the ruling government's economic and social policies, when their party is in opposition.

In conclusion, for the youth in politics to succeed and be counted among the best in history, they must be alive to their responsibilities without fear or favour and contribute their quota to the best of their ability in nation building and development; impartially and not to the detriment of their motherland.

Category:

African History 

Oganisation:

Clevenard

Writer:

Charles Ollivant Ak

Location:

Ghana