Youth Empowerment Consortium (YEC) has met in Koforidua for a leadership workshop and debate on the controversial e-levy.
The debate on the e-levy was participated by the youth members of Parliament of YEC on the topic “The Proposed e-levy policy by the government of Ghana will deepen the Economic Woes of the Youth or will be an everlasting catalyst for national development
The General Secretary of YEC Edward Marfo said it is obvious from all engagements that the youth are against e-levy.
“The e- levy policy as proposed by the government of the day has already received a lot of debates, a lot of submissions, and a lot of banter all over. What we seek to do is to give the youth a face to face engagement for them to also debate it, tell us what they think, and then state their positions, we have already had virtual engagements on this and the outcome was positive and in the number was very high about almost two hundred participated but today we will be taking it across the regions in as much as the topic remains relevant.
We believe that per what goes on here today we will be able to state our position as an organization and collectively even be able to communicate it and also submit what we think is important about the policy itself whether it should be passed or it shouldn’t be passed or what the actual outcomes will be “.
The General Secretary added that ” For the virtual debate that we had, those within the majority caucus spoke against the policy, what they mean was that instead of it being a catalyst for an everlasting national development, it will rather be worsening and deepening the problems of the youth in our country and for that matter, the government needs to consider other avenues that they think they can raise resources to support the development of the country and not just taxing the citizenry and by extension the young people who most are now trying to find their feed via this technological platform because if you’ve come to look at it, you will realize that per our population we as the youth are the ones that use these platforms and for that matter, the government needs to reconsider its decision to push the levy policy through”.
A former Eastern Regional Director of National Youth Employment Program, NYEP, Joshua Atta Mensah who was guest speaker spoke extensively on leadership.
He challenged the youth of Africa to exhibit the spirit of Leadership wherever they find themselves to help change the narrative in Africa.
“The truth of the matter is that if you a black and today you look at the happenings around the globe, you compare Africa or the black race to Europe and then the America and the Asia’s you realize that Africa is lagging, and what Africa needs most today is leadership, the right leadership that will take advantage of the potentials in Africa of the qualities that we have and propel us into the future that we all dream to become and so good leadership like people who are selfless, people who are ethical in life, leaders who are truthful and sincere in life, they are the people that we need today to take advantage of the resources that we have and make sure that we propel Africa into the realm of the state that we all want it to be but for now we are far behind”
If we constantly have some of these some of this engagement in the various regions, in the various parts of Africa, I sincerely believe that we the future generation of this continent will begin to chart a different path,
I speak I think Rwanda, Paul Kagame are doing well, if we have his likes in the rest of the African countries I believe that we will raise Africa high. With the right procedure, with the constant engagement, the current youth becoming the adult tomorrow we will be able to chart a different path that will propel Africa into the future we all want to be”
Joshua Atta Mensah advised the youth to enter into politics with the mindset of serving mother Ghana instead of amassing wealth.
“Because of the way political leadership have conducted themselves over the years, that is what has provoked the minds of the youth today that politics is all about money, but politics is all not about money, I have been in politics before, but because of the orientation I had and because of the mindset I developed before entering into office, I was recommended for commendation, it means that if we have youth who have the right orientation and conscientization before entering into politics will begin to think differently not thinking that is all about making money in politics, politics is about leading the country or continent into where everybody will feel safe, be free and fell proud as an African”
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
