The National Cadet Corp on Monday held its third national parade to commemorate this year’s Republic Day event at the Independence Square in Accra on the theme “A United Youth, A Pre-requisite for National Development”.

The event organised by the National Cadet Corps under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education and the Ghana Armed Forces is to instill in the youth a sense of national belongingness and the spirit of service to government, country and community.

It was attended by more than 2,000 youth mostly students selected from over 80 Basic, Senior High Schools and Universities and other youth organisations, as well as personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces from across the country.

Cadet Captain Nana Kwame Osei Asare, who was the Parade Director in an interview with Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the event said, the purpose of creation of the National Cadet Corps was to promote a more productive and useful youth as well as to maintain a drug-free and gun-free youth in the society.

He said, the Cadet Corps was also aimed at inspiring young men and women to achieve success through a multifaceted programme which was mentally and physically rewarding to the body and to promote a sense of national pride.

“This is the third edition because we started in 2017 and we hoping to continue because on a day like this we bring all the youth together and instill in them this sense of national belongingness for them to understand that it took the toils of our forefathers to be able to put Ghana at this stage.

“It therefore beholds on us the youth to champion that course and ensure that Ghana achieves the dream our forefathers had wanted”, he said.

Madam Akosua Frema Opare, the Chief of Staff at the Presidency in an address said the development of every nation depended extensively on its human capital investment made particularly into the youth, adding that the youth played key role in the stability, peace, unity and harmony among the citizenry.

“It is however unfortunate to note that some youth have taken the law into their own hands resulting in acts that bring confusion, destruction of property, injuries and sometimes loss of lives at varying points in the country,” she said.

She urged the law enforcement agencies to ensure that such acts were nipped in the bud.

She further pledged government’s support for voluntary youth organisations in the country to ensure that peace and stability was maintained.

While commending the National Cadet Corps, Madam Frema Opare charged the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth and Sport to provide financial and other forms of assistance to the National Cadet Corps especially in the various educational institutions to aid them in their operations.

“I will also appeal to the security agencies to give serious considerations to the National Cadet Corps and other such few groups during the enlistment and recruitment in to the various security agencies”, she said.

She further called on international organizations, civil society organizations, corporate Ghana and individuals to support the National Cadet Corps and other youth groups in the country to ensure their sustainability.