RETARDING THE GROWTH OF AFRICAN YOUTH; GHANA AS A CASE STUDY

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As an ardent follower of African Politics especially Ghana and a youth who is still struggling to find an appropriate way of contributing to national conversations in Ghana, I write this not to claim supremacy in knowledge about Ghana politics and the youth growth but as a voice of conscience to the youth who only connects themselves politically, be used by these politicians and failed to build their capacities.

The New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress are the major political parties in Ghana. These parties are mostly debating on who failed Ghana best. Many a time, they act as though they are enemies in the face of the public but are best of friends when it comes to collaborating to poach the youth and putting them at the stage where they won't grow again. If you are a youth and you are a neutral person who votes based on policies and chastised parties unbiased, both NPP and NDC find way of making you irrelevant, incredible and dependent on them. For instance; if you are a youth and a neutral person who wants to contribute to national conversation, if you are seen talking against let's assume NDC, it affects shit of neutral voters especially if you have media attention and you are seen as a threat and such a person, if you are not seen criticizing the NPP, then the NDC will probably say the NPP has employed you. The NPP too won't leave you in peace although you are neutral, they will try to use your words on their political platform which will in the long run push the NDC to attack your name by undermining the credibility of your words. So between NPP and NDC. These political parties have successfully created a niche for themselves that they are not serious because if to say that somebody is an NPP or NDC undermines the credibility of their words, then the youth always want their voice to be heard only when they join one of these parties. Now, if the same person criticizes the NPP next time, then the NDC will say, even somebody who previously has a long history of criticizing us now agrees with us and that is when the NPP too will disown you and say that "we knew this person was not serious. Do you remember he said this and that" - rendering you irrelevant. As small as Ghana is, it is very easy to seek attention and trend in the twinkle of an eye. One just needs a cheap smartphone, an internet data and a social media account to ruin insults and be heard. To most of the youth it's more sensible to own a social media account than to develop their capacity if you want to make it politically.

These parties then prefer poaching the loudest youth on social media to the smartest. The youth in question then becomes the gods of their party or their propaganda secretary.

@tv4souls @mcsamm @wafrica