Youth participation in local governance crucial to national development

Mr. Samuel Osei, Deputy Coordinator of the Tarkwa Nseum Municipal Assembly, on Friday stressed the importance for the youth in particular to participate in the local governance process since they are the backbone of society.

“The youth are citizens who have the potential to man the affairs of the state one day and so the assembly structures must allow them to have a say in the local governance process”, he said.

The Deputy Coordinator said this at a forum on “Promoting Effective Youth Involvement in Local Governance” organised in Tarkwa by the Youth Bridge Foundation, an NGO, with funding from LOGODEP, under the USAID Youth in Governance Initiative.

Mr. Osei therefore encouraged the youth to form groups which would give them a common voice in order to press home their concerns, adding “Use the complaints unit within the various assemblies as a channel to pass on your information to the assemblies”.

Mr. Francis Donkor, Municipal NCCE Director, called on the youth to be law abiding in pressing home their demands to the assemblies. He also urged them to avoid insults, work hard to build their capacities and to hold the national interest above their parochial interests.

Master Benjamin Aborbi, Youth Representative, expressed dissatisfaction about the non-involvement of the youth in the formulation of local governance policies, unavailability of well furnished and well resourced centres for the youth and the lack of information flow on the assembly's projects and programmes for the benefit of the youth.**