News
‘Youth advised to adopt strategic approach to political activism’
The Executive Director of Maltiti Foundation, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting quality livelihood in the rural areas, Ewura Adams Karim, has urged Ghanaian youth to change their approach to political activism in the country.
Speaking at the launch of the Progressive People’s Movement (PPM), a simulated political party at the Ghana International Press Centre in Accra, under the theme “Empowering Youth for a Brighter Future: PPM Roadmap to Prosperity”, Mr Karim noted that the current approach to political activism in Ghana was not yielding the desired results.
He lamented that youthful political activism in Ghana in the Fourth Republic had been using the same approach of constantly bashing the government of the day without proffering solutions.
Mr Karim emphasised that for Ghana to achieve real political activism, the youth should adopt a more strategic and calculated approach to the way of doing things.
“The youth should stop the unnecessary noise and talk and change the way they approach political activism. We need a more strategic approach that focuses on critical thinking to address issues affecting the country,” he stressed.
He further said that the youth should not only be seen as mere critics, but as people whose positive contribution to national development was paramount.
“It is time we stop the long talk on radio and TV stations. I have done that before but it doesn’t yield the result we desire. Let us stop talking and propose solutions to problems in the country” he said.
He said the youth need to change their mindset and ways of approaching issues in society.
“Our mindset as a people is generally bad. We need to be the change we are asking for. We need to do the right things even if no one watches us. That is the only way we can make an impact in our society”, he added.
Mr Karim urged young people to be more proactive in their approach to social and political issues and own their future.
The Progressive People’s Movement is a simulated political party created by Level 300 Students of Ghana Institute of Journalism as part of a Political Communication course.
The programme brought together academics, youth leaders and students to discuss how to empower the youth to participate in the political activities of Ghana.
The political competition is an annual activity under the Communication Studies Department of the University, and is meant to empower students to participate constructively in the politics of the country.
This year’s competition will see six political parties of which PPM is a leading force to participate in the campaign and design policies in helping to solve Ghana’s problems.
The final rally of the competition and a debate on political ideas and policies is slated for Friday, March 31, 2023, at the Dzorwulu Campus of the Institute.
According to the party executives, the Progressive People’s Movement (PPM) is committed to building a fair and just society in Ghana. “We believe that social justice, equality, and collective responsibility are essential components of a prosperous and thriving nation. We advocate government intervention to regulate the market and protect workers’ rights, while promoting policies that create opportunities for all Ghanaians to succeed.”
By Mercy Adomaa Sarpong
The Vice Chancellor of the Pentecost University, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, is advocating an intentional conversation about the development and education of the boy child in creating stronger families and societies.
According to him, the boy child must not be ignored in conversations on leadership, education, family stability and national transformation because they are key to national development.
“There is a reason why a boy child must not be denied opportunities like education; he is a future leader. When boys are trained well, society becomes safer and stronger,” he stated.
Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua made the remark at a forum organised by the Church of Pentecost Schools Outreach Ministry in Accra to observe the International Day of the Boy Child observed on May 16.
It was held in collaboration with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES), and under the theme: ‘Flourish and Thrive: Investing and Unleashing Boys for Strong Families and Communities.’
Leading the discussion, the Pentecost University Vice Chancellor warned that poor mentorship, declining in education, harmful social media influences and emotional neglect have made a lot of young boys vulnerable.
With a lot of the attention switching to the girl child, the boy child, he said was confronted with many challenges including violence, substance abuse, educational decline, emotional neglect and the absence of positive role models.
According to Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua, he noted that boys were turning to social media for direction due to the absence of fathers and mentors to help shape their lives.
“If we are not intentional, social media will mentor our children for us. We are not saying they should not use social media, but they should be guided to access the right information to excel in life,” he stated.
Prof. Agyapong-Kodua urged society to encourage boys to become creators of technology rather than mere consumers.
Contributing, Madam Gifty Asiedu, Director of the Girls’ Education Unit at the GES Headquarters, said the service remained committed to ensuring that no child was left behind, adding that, “supporting the boy child should not come at the expense of progress made in girl-child education.”
“If you focus intentionally on one gender and neglect the other, you create a societal problem,” she underlined.
She said the GES had observed some decline in boys’ retention in school, although the gap between boys and girls was not yet too wide.
“Over the years, attention has been focused on the girl child and we have seen the benefits. However, data now show that the statistics concerning the boy child continue to decline,” she indicated.
She explained that the service was implementing gender-responsive education to ensure that classroom teaching addressed the needs of both boys and girls equally.
Elder Barima Acheampong Sarpong II, Deputy Director of the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and Chief of Asante Asaman in the Ashanti Region, said society needed to critically examine the plight of boys.
“As we celebrate the International Day for the Boy Child, I urge every man to identify one boy child, find out how he is doing and dedicate some time to mentoring him,” he explained.
The programme, attended by educators, church leaders and policymakers, was the second edition following a partnership initiated last year between the Schools Outreach Ministry, the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the GES.
It sought to improve school enrolment, completion rates and learning outcomes among boys so they could grow into responsible men who would build strong families and communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Candidates that wrote the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Ho Municipality are hopeful of obtaining good grades to make everyone especially their parents and the Regional Minister proud.
The candidates said they had so far sat the examination with focus and integrity after a call from Mr James Gunu, Regional Minister to avoid examination malpractice saying, they expected great performance upon release of results.
Mr Gunu, at the start of this year’s BECE delivered the message during a monitoring visit to some centres in the municipality including Ho Kpodzi EP Basic A School, Mawuli School, Mawuko Girls Senior High School (SHS), and Kabore School.
He urged the candidates to rely on hard work and discipline, warning that shortcuts could jeopardise their future.
“Stay focused and give your best in this year’s BECE – your determination and hard work will pay off. Avoid shortcuts and examination malpractice; integrity matters just as much as success,” he said.
The Minister, accompanied by the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, the acting Volta Regional Director of Education, and the Ho Municipal Director of Education, encouraged candidates to view the exam as a foundation for their academic journey and to celebrate responsibly after the final paper, commending parents, guardians, teachers, and officials of the Ghana Education Service for their support in preparing the candidates.
Candidates at some of the centres Ghana News Agency visited, echoed the call for honesty and high standards.
At Kabore School, Ms Francisca Atsu of Sokode Lokoe MA Basic School said, “The Regional Minister was here earlier to speak to us and also to encourage us. We’ve done our best. I assure him that we will make him and our parents proud.”
At Taviefe SHS Centre, Ms Valentina Sakpla of Taviefe R.C Basic School added, “We are expecting good results to make everyone proud and for our own good.”
Mr David Dotse, Supervisor at Kabore School, hosting 11 schools, with a standby ambulance on site to cater for any health emergency, reported smooth proceedings. –GNA
