The National Youth Authority (NYA), under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has today Friday, 21 August 2020 inaugurated a Youth Parliament in the Ashaiman Municipality dubbed “Ashaiman Youth Parliament 2020” to encourage the youth to partake in the active decision making process to enhance development of their respective communities in diverse ways and project the image of Ashaiman in a positive light.
News gathered by Talks Africa Media can confirm that, in attendance at the inaugural ceremony were the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashaiman Constituency Hon. Ernest Norgbey, Municipal Chief Executive for Ashaiman Municipal Assembly Hon. Albert Boakye Okyere, Municipal Director of Education Mrs. Rose Joyce Appoh-Biney among other dignitaries.
Addressing the youth parliamentarians, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Constituency Hon. Ernest Norgbey applauded the initiative and challenged the youth to work relentlessly in projecting the good image of Ashaiman adding that, the youth parliamentarians represent the Constituents of Ashaiman as a whole, to that end they should not relent in unearthing issues that confronts the constituents leaving no stone unturned in their proceedings as to influence better policy decision of the government towards the people they serve.
The Lawmaker, further called for an amendment of the constitution advancing the argument that, in as much as the 1992 constitution allows an 18-year-old and above electorate the right to vote and and a 24-year-old too the constitutional right to be voted for as a parliamentarian, that according to the legislator, should translate to an 18-year-old and 24-year-old the right to be voted for as the President of the Republic of Ghana further stressing that, the constitutional Presidential age limit 40 years shouldn’t be a limiting factor hampering youth participation.
Also, speaking at the event, the Municipal Chief Executive for Ashaiman Municipal Assembly Hon. Albert Boakye Okyere indicated that, there has been a paradigm shift in active youth participation in the decision making process of the Municipality in the area of voice for the voiceless. He further cautioned the youth to serve with all their might and power since right comes with utmost responsibility.
Both the majority and minority youth parliamentarians were sworn in by the Hon. Municipal Chief Executive and Ashaiman Youth Parliament duly inaugurated.
As part of activities for the day, the youth took the audience through a mock youth parliamentary proceeding where a motion was moved for the Presentation of the effect of COVID-19 on education in Ashaiman by the Municipal Director of Education Mrs. Rose Joyce Appoh-Biney dubbed “The Effect Of COVID-19 In The Municipality” which was then monitored and mentored by the MP and dignitaries present with standing orders.
Mrs. Rose Joyce Appoh-Biney in her address to the house touched on an array of issues as far as the COVID-19’s impact on education in the Ashaiman Municipality was concerned, and how her outfit is addressing; emotional imbalances on students and pupils, inequalities on the high level of disparity between the literates and illustrates parents, government initiative aimed at equipping students and pupils with the needed educational assistance during their stay at home in the COVID-19 era notable among which was the Ghana Radio Learning Programme all in an effort to compliments government efforts in addressing the adverse effect of the pandemic on education in Ashaiman an Ghana at large.
Miss Memunatu Barry, Speaker of the Youth Parliament, expressed gratitude to the Parliamentarians and dignitaries in attendance bringing the mock parliamentary proceeding to an end.
The National Youth Authority (NYA) was established in 1974 by NRDC 241. It is thus, a Statutory Public Organization with the mandate to co-ordinate and facilitates youth empowerment activities in Ghana to ensure development of the Ghanaian the youth as a whole.
National Youth Authority was formerly known as “the National Youth Council (NYC).” In 1981, by an administrative directive, the Council was transformed into a “Commission” status as “the National Youth Organizing Commission” with the focus to organize a mass national youth movement called the “Democratic Youth League of Ghana (DYLG).”
With the inception of constitutional rule in 1992, the Commission status reverted to the “Council” once more. In consequence of a statute law revision exercise under the laws of Ghana (Revised Edition) Act, 1998 (Act 562), the nomenclature of the Authority was changed to the current, “National Youth Authority”.
Source: Iddrisu Muftaw | Talks Africa Media
TalkS Africa 