Nduom charges PPP youth to claim ownership of party

The Founder and Leader of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, has called on the youth of the PPP to claim ownership of the party.

Dr Nduom, who is currently in the United States, made the call via Skype during the celebration of the sixth anniversary of the Progressive Youth Movement (PYM), the youth wing of the PPP in Accra last Sunday.

He said the youth were the leaders and must not wait for the leadership of the party to be called to eternity before claiming ownership.

He said: “The PPP belongs to you today, not tomorrow, and I want you to take it, take this party and make it what you want it to become. Let the PPP be the party you want it to be. I am hoping that some of you will work from today and come 2020, you will become members of Parliament as young men and women.”

However, he said they must take a keen interest in the activities of the party to enable it to win power in 2020 and beyond.

He also commended the youth for their hard work in the party and charged them to be more active in decision-making processes.

PYM celebration

The PYM was formed on February 25, 2012 as the youth wing of the PPP.

It was formed to promote the cause of the movement of the progressive and independent-minded people, following the declaration of Dr Nduom on December 28, 2011 to contest the presidential race.

The anniversary celebration was on the theme: “Creating a Viable Alternative Government; The Role of the Progressive Youth.”

The anniversary was attended by hundreds of PYM members across the country.

Enabling environment

The National Chairman of the PPP, Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond,described the youth of the party “as the driving force behind the PPP becoming the second largest opposition in 2012 and again in 2016”.

He expressed the hope that the passion and desires of the youth of the party for real national accomplishments would revitalise and rekindle the vibrant Ghanaian youth to experience real change in the upcoming 2020 election.

The national chairman urged the youth to be actively involved in the ongoing constituency, regional and national elections that would soon commence.

Security

Touching on the country's security, the national chairman observed that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) was weak in ensuring the country’s security and safety.

He cited the activities of political vigilante groups to express concern about national safety and security.

He further asked where the commitment of the government was when the state claimed it had not enough evidence to prosecute offenders.

He also pointed out that the government had not created an enabling environment for entrepreneurs to thrive, resulting in the unemployment situation in the country.

That, he said, had made the youth flee the country to the Mediterranean in search of greener pastures.

According to him, if the PPP was to be given four years in government, it would facilitate the creation of millions of jobs that would transform the social and economic fabric of the nation.

Eschew indiscipline

The Deputy Director of Research of the party, Mr Emmanuel Osei, admonished the leaders and members of the PYM to eschew indiscipline and rather imbibe in them the discipline of PPP.

The PPP Executive Director, Mr Richard Nii Armah, delivering an address on the topic: “Unemployment in Ghana: A national security threat,” said unemployment bred criminals and successive governments had failed to solve the situation.

He charged the youth to be selfless in the party and work hard to promote their vision of winning election 2020 to help the teeming youth. “The PPP and the PYM will only win power and solve the unemployment problem when we all disabuse our minds that we are ‘bystanders’ and that some people are the party and they must provide everything for the party,” he noted.

The National Secretary of the party, Mr Murtala Mohammed, urged the PYM members to take up positions, sacrifice for the party, develop a repertoire of songs and endeavour to promote the ideologies of the party to enable it to win power to help Mother Ghana.

The National Youth Coordinator, Mr Divine Nkrumah, urged the youth to rise and defend the party in all its endeavours.