Youth Parliament concept to prepare youth for future leadership

The National Youth Authority (NYA) has organised a training of trainers workshop for some selected youths in the Central Region with the aim of establishing Youth Parliament in all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) of the Region.

The Youth Parliament concept is an initiative by the NYA to provide a single formalised youth structure at the district, regional and national levels for the youth to air their frustrations, deliberate on matters of importance to youth development, and hold duty bearers accountable.

The workshop was held with the aim of equipping participants who were drawn from all the MMDAs in the Region with the modalities involved in the Youth Parliament concept.

The participants after the training are expected to go back to their respective districts to train and mentor their colleagues with the objective of forming Youth Parliaments.

The workshop was organised in collaboration with the Regional Coordinating Council and supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Addressing the participants, Mr Sumaila Shaibu, Speaker of the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament, said the formation of the Youth Parliament across the country was to empower and build the capacities of the youth to participate actively in decision-making.

According to him, the numerous demonstrations often embarked upon by the youth were as result of the lack of political space to participate effectively in the decision making process in the various local government structures.

He said the Youth Parliament concept would help build the capacities of the youth who had the ambition to become Parliamentarians and help reduce the training cost of new Parliamentarians.

Duty bearers would be summoned before the Youth Parliament to account for their stewardship in the House, he noted, adding that the concept would also serve as an advocacy tool for the youth to champion development agenda in their respective areas.

Mr Shaibu indicated that the establishment of the Youth Parliament in the Upper West Region for instance, had created a platform for the youth in the Area to hold government functionaries accountable.

Their efforts, he said, had led to the completion of certain government infrastructure that were abandoned and had compelled duty bearers and other heads of institutions to carry out their responsibilities and tasks.

Mr. Shaibu stressed that the Youth Parliament concept would not only create room for the youth to be involved in running the affairs of the nation, but would also help them to play significant roles in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

He said the President would address the National Youth Parliament dubbed “State of Youth Affairs” in future and the youth would have the opportunity to quiz him.

Mr Emmanuel Martey, Regional Director of NYA, said the concept of Youth Parliament would create a platform for the youth to have their voices heard such that in situations where there was despondency, they would not resort to other untoward means.

He said the concept would go a long way to consolidate the present and future democratic dispensation of the country.

The participants expressed the readiness to train and mentor their colleagues and to form the Parliaments to help strengthen accountability and local governance for sustainable national development.