“It is only the youth that can make the economic independence of the country a reality by voting the right person into office,” she said.

Addressing some students of the University of Ghana at the Elizabeth Sey Hall in Accra yesterday to mark the independence celebration, she said the CPP believed in the youth and therefore had handed over the mantle of power to them to bring the needed change that would affect their lives positively.

She said Independence Day was a very important day in the life of Ghanaians, noting that apart from the March past, the day needed to be readjusted and repositioned for the youth to understand its importance.

She reminded the students that if they wanted to achieve economic independence then “they have to take the mantle today, else the problems of tomorrow will swallow you”.

“Whatever you want to do this is the time to do it, if you don’t get up today don’t ever blame the leadership of the country,” she said.

Can-do spirit

The chairperson encouraged the students to allow the flag of Ghana to ignite the spirit of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President and said that spirit included the ‘can-do spirit’ in them that can build something for their country.

She said they should not just follow political parties just because they like them but support people who worked in their interest in terms of governance.

“I believe that if the youth can examine themselves and ignite their spirits today, that same spirit of God within them can help them solve problems facing the country, and that is the legacy of the CPP,” she said.

Agricultural squad

A broadcaster, who is also a member of the CPP, Blessed Godsbrain Smart, aka Captain Smart, tasked the various universities in the country to come up with courses that would promote the development of the country and make students more employable after school.

He noted that the youth were not lazy but because of bad leadership they were unable to position themselves to be employable in the field of work.

He, however, called on the country to establish an agricultural squad aimed at employing the youth to feed the nation.

“The youth should be employed and paid at least GH¢5,000 a month to do agriculture and this can make the country self-sufficient,” he said

He also urged the media to speak out for the youth to find their level place in politics and the governance of the country.  

Uphold integrity

The immediate past Vice president of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of the University of Ghana, Wisdom Ndukwe, indicated that young people normally chastised the elderly over issues of values and integrity but said most of the youth were most culpable in that regard.

He, therefore, entreated them to uphold good values and integrity as young people as they had a lot they could contribute to the development of the country.

The National Spokesperson for the Economic League Fighters, Nii Ayi, said the youth had always led and been at the centre of revolutionary activism, noting that it was time for them to step up to the responsibility of rescuing and reconstructing the country.