The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) is calling on the youth to demand accountability from the National Youth Authority (NYA) on how the five per cent allocation from the District Assemblies Common Fund for the implementation of youth programmes and activities is being utilised.

According to the FES, before the National Youth Authority Act was passed, one of the challenges it faced was lack of funding for the implementation of youth programmes and activities.

As a result, there was a strong advocacy that there should be a dedicated fund for the implementation of youth programmes and activities, which Parliament consented to and approved a 5% allocation from the District Assemblies Common Fund to the NYA.

Therefore, since 2017, the NYA has benefited from this fund, but unfortunately, not many of the youth are aware of this allocation, hence, they were asked to create the interest in tracking how that money is being used for development activities.

Prosper Hoetu, Executive Director of Youth Network for Human Rights and Democracy (You-net), in a Youth Action Network official of the Youth Focus Group report: “A hopeless case! Youth in Ghana between political frustration and economic hardship,” disclosed.

Mr Hoetu, addressing various youth groups at the launch of research sponsored by FES yesterday, underscored the need for the youth to demand accountability from policymakers, especially when it borders on their welfare.

He further added that the National Youth Authority Act, which was passed in 2016, created a representation for what is called the Ghana Youth Federation, and it was within the contemplation of those who made the law that young people needed representation on the NYAB.

“So they created three slots for the Federation, but as it stand now, even though there are youth representations on the board as we speak now, young people do not know how those representations were selected, and we do not know who they are accountable to,” Mr Hoetu quizzed.

On the research, he said the idea was that young people constitute a significant proportion of Ghana’s population, but when it comes to decision making, they are not considered.

“…if you look at the statistics from the Electoral Commission, about 70 per cent of our voter population are youth but we have realised that they are not really engaged in the decision process, and we think that for a functional democracy, it is important that those who constitute majority of the population are consulted when decisions are being made, especially on issues that affect them,” he said.

He indicated that findings from the research were worrying because many of the youth engaged in the research are losing faith in the state institutions, which, to him, was very dangerous.

“If our institutions are failing to respond to the challenges of our young people, it is very dangerous to our democracy. People are motivated to join vigilante groups, which is very sad, because some people think it is the only way to earn means.

“Also, young people think that for you to secure employment opportunity, you have to be politically connected or align yourself with a political party, and again, it not the best. Our constitution sets a certain order – equal opportunity for all citizens,” he stressed

Some of the concerns raised by the youth include personal safety, political interference and delays in response by security agencies. There were also issues of influx of foreigners without proper documentation, unemployment, kidnapping, increasing levels of crime and poor parenting.

The participants also see social media as serious security risk, particularly where some individuals use it to circulate false information.

Dr Daniel Mann, Project Assistant, FES-Ghana, added that since the youth form the majority of the population, they need to be listened to.