The lost self: The youths in politics

If I could ever know my worth, I would go the right way. If I could for once think about what I should be doing in my early 20s and 30s, I would not wish that my energy was wasted on protecting and defending the cruel old man.

If I could for once rethink the future, I would have denied myself, and having been denied, I would have started rethinking my actions in party politics. If I could at least gain consciousness, I would stop being the spokesperson whenever politicians do the obviously wrong things.

But here I find myself stuck because my life depends on the GHC20 and the GHC 50, and sometimes the hope of securing a job through the dirty jobs I do for the particular party.

Having created hardship in social conditions, and having made the economy suicidal for the masses, they control the minds of the youths in Ghana. Politicians have created a hostile environment so that the youths will continue to worship them anytime they’re offered some coins and promised jobs.

Having to be given some token, or in anticipation of some favour from a politician, many youths insult people in defence of their political benefactors. One might have thought that building a good country for the youths because they are the future of the country, but you may be wrong. Many youths are co-designers of the direction the country is going.

On WhatsApp platforms, which are not political platforms, you will find some youths defending the “obvious sin” because of their political lenses. Things that should be of national interest to the youths are looked at from the perspectives of NDC and NPP. Many youths today have lost their true self in the name of politics. They have become political defenders and will defend the indefensible.

Today in this country, the majority of the people who are unemployed are the youth. But our unemployed situation least matters to many of us. We live our lives like that village rich man who loves to drink alcohol from that corner, whenever he gets there, then his boys will be asking if they too could get a class.

If all of us could regain our consciousness, and know that we are not heading to the right place, those old thieves in suits and kaftans would sit up. I believe parliamentarians will not be joking on the floor of parliament. Neither will the executive arm of government dare to joke with our future.

We will not have to go and steal plantains for the judiciary to jail us. But our minds work like robots, the moment a particular issue against a political party, it looks like we have been programmed to defend.

I don’t think Jesus Christ will have this number of defenders in Ghana compared to the number of youths behind their desks always defending political parties. Hmmm! I hope every youth regains consciousness before everyone gets into the pits.

I hope to meet you again to have more discussions. I remain Emmanuel Graham Nyameke, your African brother.