NewzThe Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Osman Abdulai Ayariga, has urged young people to take an active role in decision-making and governance, stressing that they are not merely citizens-in-waiting but citizens with a legitimate stake in Ghana’s development today. Speaking at the National Youth Parliament Mock Sitting, Mr Ayariga said democracy could not thrive when only a section of society participated in the processes that shape the country. He encouraged young people to engage with national issues, question policies, propose alternatives and contribute meaningfully to discussions on matters affecting their lives and communities.
He said the National Youth Parliament provides an important platform for young people to understand democratic institutions, develop civic competence and gain practical experience in parliamentary processes. According to him, such engagements must go beyond speeches and events to create mechanisms through which the views, proposals and recommendations of young people can feed into policy and national development. Mr Ayariga further challenged young people to prepare themselves for the responsibility that comes with leadership by acquiring knowledge, competence and character.
He urged them not to allow social media to become the only arena for civic participation, but to take their voices into their communities, schools, workplaces and formal institutions where decisions are made. The National Youth Authority (NYA) has begun a new partnership with Parliament aimed at bringing Ghanaian youth closer to the country’s democratic institutions and providing them with practical opportunities to understand and participate in parliamentary processes. The initiative was highlighted by NYA Chief Executive Officer, Osman Abdulai Ayariga, during the National Youth Parliament Mock Sitting, which he described as the first collaboration of its kind between the Authority and Parliament.
Mr Ayariga said the initiative should not be viewed as a one-off event but as the beginning of a stronger institutional relationship that would help young people understand how democratic institutions function. He said the experience would expose participants to parliamentary procedures, including presenting motions, debating issues, interrogating ideas, listening to opposing views and building consensus. “Today is particularly significant because this mock sitting represents the first collaboration of its kind between the National Youth Authority and the Parliament of Ghana,” he said.
He said the Youth Parliament was intended to serve as a training ground for young people to develop civic competence, leadership capacity and democratic literacy. He urged participants to ensure that recommendations emerging from their deliberations were documented and submitted to relevant institutions for consideration. “Let the arguments, proposals and recommendations emerging from this House be documented and presented to the National Youth Authority and relevant institutions for consideration,” Mr Ayariga said.
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