Don’t engage in electoral violence - Nayan, Oti Bless urge youth
The youth have been urged to prioritise the peace of the country by not allowing themselves to be used as tools for perpetrating mayhem in this year’s elections.
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A former Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Joseph Kwaku Nayan, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkwanta-North in the Oti Region, John Oti Bless, who made the call, emphasised that the December 7 polls were an opportunity for the youth to make informed choices on whose hands to entrust their future rather than an avenue to engage in violent acts.
They added that although the youth had every right to support any of the political parties and individuals seeking political power, they must do so without hindering the rights of others or endangering the peace of the country.
Dondon Anyorbank
The two politicians were speaking at the launch of the Dondon Anyorbank, a youth group, at Old Fadama in the Greater Accra Region.
The association was formed to serve as an umbrella body for the youth to leverage their social capital for personal growth and the development of society.
Value your lives
In an interview with the Daily Graphic at the event, Mr Nayan, who is currently the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Minerals Commission, encouraged the youth group to focus on pursuing higher education for a better future.
The former MP for Nkwanta-North urged the youth to place value on their lives by not allowing themselves to be used by any politician to foment trouble during the electioneering period.
“Going into this election, we need to know that whether we belong to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or whichever party, we should know that whoever wins is the choice of the people; there should be no fight over this,” he said.
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No violence
For his part, Mr Bless said the youth represented the hope and future of the country and must not put themselves in harm’s way in the name of partisan politics.
The three-term NDC MP said political differences must not be misconstrued for enmity because “politics is not war; it is for development, and there can be no development when there is no peace.”
“My message to the young people here at the Konkomba Yam Market is that you need to be lovers of peace; when December 7 comes, go and cast your vote in peace and go back home. You can come back and witness the counting when voting is over. When your candidate wins, you can jubilate without trespassing the rights of others,” he said.
Keep your conscience
He called on young people to stay away from politicians who were “too ambitious to win at all cost”, saying that such a development was a recipe for chaos during elections.
“If any political party or politician comes to recruit you or give you money to go and fight for them, take the money and vote against them because money cannot buy your worth,” he stressed.
The Chairman of Dondon Anyorbank, Magaln Samuel, said the association had identified key areas of development to be pursued in the ensuing years to ensure the youth's better future.