Youth For Leadership Calls For A Responsible Society

An End To The Political Media War

The Youth For Leadership in Ghana wish to express our disquiet about the growing trend of insults in our national politics. This is a complete departure from our carefully groomed democracy and culture. This unhealthy development seems to have no end in sight. We observe with sadness the fact that people we look up to for leadership actively participate in this unacceptable social digression.

We call for a cease fire from all political parties. Be it CPP, NPP, PNC or NDC, our overall interest is to seek the welfare of our people and the development of our dear motherland. Let us as a country delve deep into our conscience, do some little meditation and examine the kind of legacy and future we intend to leave behind.

There is too much poison in the air. The very people we look up to as role models descent so low as to engage in this dirty politics. Journalist, writers and political party representatives are the worst culprits on the various media platforms. This trend of events has the potential to permanently polarize our society and eventual lawlessness. It is the future that we are gambling with. Antagonism and bitter acrimony must be replaced with tolerance, love, and good example. The youth of today deserve a better exemplary leadership.

Every guaranteed right must come with a responsible act. To begin with, the NDC is the ruling party. Hence we expect leadership direction to come from them. Being the champions of constitutional democracy in modern day Ghana, we strongly believe that the NDC can lead by example. We are therefore calling on the current leader of the NDC party who is also the president of the Republic to not only profess to being peace loving, civil and charitable, but to admonish his appointee to live and lead by example. The offices they occupy is one of privilege which and must command a lot of respect. They must be seen speaking to issues and develop that resilient character of being tolerant and civil. A call to the clergy to champion this course isn’t just enough to rid our society of this negative. The president must act to show he is in charge and not seen as the lone ranger in the search for responsible leadership and society. His Excellency must start by calling his ministers to act responsibly.

The opposition parties have an equal task and responsibility of developing a culture of tolerance and civil society. They play an even more audacious task of holding government in check and serving as a mouth piece of the voiceless masses. This gives them no right to use foul language on our elected leaders and persons in authority. We are therefore charging them to prove themselves worthy as the people’s true mouth piece and an alternative government, persons vested with the trust of the people to communicate to government respectfully, truthfully and sincerely without the need to resort to violent language. Their action inadvertently breeds acrimony and rage amongst us.

Every point can be won through our actions and never through argument. “Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is really a pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up are stronger and last longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate”.

To the members of the YFL, we are all called upon to lead this crusade to act responsibly and to avoid the culture of insults, anything that would be disrespectful. This is a responsibility as noble as our objective and principles, future leaders. We owe this responsibility to our society, our political parties and country. Long Live YFL, Long Live our Living legend JJ Rawlings, Long Live Ghana.

Signed

Kizito Akudago

(National Chairman)

Tel: 0264640301