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Steven Nhyira Odarteifio declares bid for NDC National Youth Organiser position
Comrade Steven Nhyira Odarteifio has declared his intention to contest for the position of National Youth Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In his declaration speech, he called for a new approach to youth leadership, saying the youth wing of the party must go beyond mobilising young people for elections and help create economic opportunities for them.
According to him, many young Ghanaians supported the NDC because they believed in a Ghana where people could have opportunities regardless of their political connections or how well known they were.
He said the party must create space for young people with ideas, a record of service and the ability to deliver to contribute to its leadership.
Mr Odarteifio pointed to government programmes including the National Apprenticeship Programme and the One Million Coders Programme, stressing that such initiatives would only make an impact if young people knew about them and could access them.
“Programmes alone do not change lives. People must know about them. People must be able to reach them. People must be organised around them,” he stated.
He said his experience in youth development, agriculture and enterprise had exposed him to the challenges facing young people and helped him develop practical solutions.
According to him, interventions he had supported had created opportunities for more than 100,000 young people across the country.
He cited work involving agricultural enclaves, equipment for young farmers, support for local artisans to manufacture agricultural machinery, opportunities for women processors in northern Ghana and agricultural education in tertiary institutions.
“When I speak about youth empowerment, I am not speaking from a textbook. When I speak about jobs and opportunity, I am not assuring you for the sake of it. I have seen the problems. I have built solutions. I have persisted,” he said.
Mr Odarteifio said, if elected, he would seek to help economically impact one million more young people before the end of the Mahama administration.
He said his vision included connecting young people to capital, skills, businesses, agriculture, technology and markets, while also supporting agricultural initiatives that could create jobs.
He further argued that the NDC needed a youth wing that could mobilise young people not only during elections but also between elections.
“I want a youth wing that helps convert political power into economic prosperity,” he stated.
Mr Odarteifio also used historical examples to argue that leadership should be based on ideas, service and ability rather than wealth, political connections or popularity.
He mentioned Yaa Asantewaa, Kwame Nkrumah and former President Jerry John Rawlings as examples of people who rose to prominence despite not initially being the most powerful or politically connected figures.
With what he described as faith in Ghana’s youth, Mr Odarteifio formally announced his decision to contest the National Youth Organiser position.
He appealed to young party members, unemployed graduates, entrepreneurs and grassroots organisers who feel overlooked, saying their readiness to lead should be judged by their ideas, service, character, impact and ability to deliver.
He said his decision to contest was also aimed at supporting President John Dramani Mahama and his government’s efforts to create opportunities and economic dignity for young people.
Mr Odarteifio pledged to work towards a party where young people would not have to rely on money or connections to have their voices heard.
He urged young Ghanaians to believe in their potential, insisting that their dreams were not too big and their names were not too small to make an impact.
By: Jacob Aggrey
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Sammy Ayeh has picked up nomination forms to contest for the position of Deputy National Communications Officer position.
Announcing his intention, Dr. Ayeh said he is offering himself to help communicate the party’s vision clearly and connect its message with the aspirations of Ghanaians.
He expressed deep gratitude to the party’s National Communications Officer, Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, describing him as an able leader on whose shoulders he has risen.
“His exceptional leadership, mentorship and confidence in me have shaped my journey and strengthened my resolve to serve,” Dr. Ayeh stated.
He said if elected, he will seek to build on that foundation by strengthening research-driven communication, empowering grassroots communicators, and enhancing strategic media engagement.
Dr. Ayeh humbly appealed to party members and supporters for their support.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Data Protection Commission has called on the Minority Caucus in Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media houses to protect the personal information of 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the Commission expressed concern over the public disclosure of the evacuees’ personal details, including their names, signatures and records of financial assistance received.
It warned that making such information public could expose the affected individuals to identity theft, fraud and other forms of harm, especially given the threats to their safety that some of them may have faced.
The Commission explained that the 1992 Constitution protects the dignity and privacy of every individual. It also cited the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), which sets out rules for the lawful collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
While acknowledging the importance of transparency, parliamentary oversight, the right to information and press freedom, the Commission stressed that these principles do not automatically justify the unrestricted publication of personal details.
It said the disclosure of the records by the Minority Caucus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media organisations must be assessed based on the law, the purpose of the disclosure and the privacy rights of the individuals involved.
The Commission further noted that although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament are registered data controllers in good standing, their registration does not exempt them from their legal responsibilities under the Data Protection Act.
It has therefore urged all the parties involved to take appropriate steps to protect the affected individuals, including immediately restricting access to or removing personal details from publicly available records where their continued disclosure is not legally justified.
The Commission announced plans to conduct a regulatory review to determine whether the disclosures had a lawful basis, what safeguards were applied and whether the privacy rights of the evacuees had been adequately protected.
It said it would engage the relevant parties as part of the review and take appropriate regulatory action if any breach of the law is established.
The Commission reiterated that protecting personal information and respecting human dignity must remain central to efforts to promote public accountability.
By: Jacob Aggrey
