Accra, Sept. 16, GNA – The Leadership of the United Nations Youth Association-Ghana (UNYA-GH) has sworn into office 132 shadow Youth Ministers.
The youth wing of the United Nations Association also sworn-in 275 Members of Parliament, a Speaker, his two deputies and 6 Clerks of Parliament.
The shadow Ministers, together with the MPs and the Clerks, were administered with the Oath of Office to abide by the rules and regulations concerning the United Nations.
The youth Parliament will operate like Ghana’s Parliament but the focus will be solely on the discussion on youth development, nation building and sustainable peace.
Mr Frank Paa Kumi, the Director of Passionate Africa Leadership Institute, speaking at the ceremony, urged the youth to build capacity as young people, who aspire to occupy leadership positions in future.
He said there was the need to pay particular attention to the type of books they read, the event they attend and the set of people they decide to associate.
“Your environment can shape and feed onto your passion,” he said.
He said a lot of people in leadership positions these have not submitted themselves to proper capacity building and they have not nurtured themselves into most of the offices they occupy.
“If we continue like this as a country, we will keep facing leadership challenges,” he added.
Mr Kumi said most leadership challenges could also be attributed to the leaders not having mentors or not going through mentorship processes.
He called on the youth to volunteer the time and resources in serving the society, indicating that sometimes volunteerism and flexibility creates values.
He, therefore, called on society to reward exemplary and ethical leadership to motivate the younger ones.
Madam Lilian Sally Addo, Country Head UNYA-GH, called on the youth not be scared of joining the United Nations Youth Association-Ghana, because of the recent issues with ‘Dr UN Awards.’
She said the initiation to establish a Youth Parliament and Youth Ministers was to enforce the UN Resolution 2250 and to enhance the participation of The Ghanaian youth in the decision-making process at all levels; while increasing their influence on national development and international cooperation.
Mr Kwame Adu-Twum, a Security Expert, urged them to tolerate each other despite their party affiliations.
He called on the government to equip the youth to enable them to be engaged and have something to do rather than involving in conflict.
He also cautioned the youth not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to fuel misunderstanding and conflict in society with the coming of the December 7 elections.
The UNYAGH is the youth wing of the United Nations Association-Ghana, a not-for-profit membership-based organization that models the UN agenda and it is the People’s Movement of The United Nations and a member of the World Federation of the United Nations Associations at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA.
