Accra, March 30, GNA - The People's National Convention (PNC) on Thursday bemoaned the apparent lack of a national youth policy that was capable of converting the energies of young people into productive use. It said that had led to the youth being desperate and they "are daily forming long queues at all manner of embassies seeking to flee their motherland without giving a thought to where they will land." The PNC in a statement on this year's World Youth Day that falls on Saturday, April 1 extended to the Ghanaian youth, the African youth and the youth of the world, "joy for the significance of the day." The statement signed by Mr Bernard Mornah, National Youth Organizer of the PNC, said it noted with utmost pleasure that the makers and movers of the world were largely "the youth whose undiluted, uncorrupted and virgin energy have fertilized the womb of our growing world. "This realization has engineered the PNC in our resolve to put youth issues in every aspect of our manifesto, including education, employment, health and recreation, agriculture and industry second to none."

The statement acknowledged the youthful contributions of men like Messiah Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammed, Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jnr; Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and the Big Six, Bob Marley "and a host of others whose pedantic stands had changed the fortunes of many in the world.

"As we c elebrate World Youth Day, the PNC is disturbed that the youth of Ghana whose energy and zeal we could tap for national reconstruction and development are left to decay.

"The PNC feels the frustrations that our youth face and the numerous social, economic and physiological challenges of this group. The ever-rising cost of education that virtually denies very many brilliant but poor people of further education; the collapse of the economy that put graduate unemployment at its peak; the increasing cost of health care have all contributed in the now increasing numbers of our youth involved in armed robbery."

The statement said "as we celebrate World youth Day, the PNC entreat all the youth not to give up and throw up their hands in despair but remain resolute and keep hope that the PNC shares their plight". It said "the PNC admonishes Government and President Kufuor to really demonstrate that this is a great time to be young by implementing human faced policies that would ensure affordable education at all levels; economic policies that would create jobs to absorb the youth and make them to contribute their quota to nation building; affordable health care and subsidies to the agricultural and selected industries in order that the youth may find placement thereof.

"Our youth today deserves to be appreciated just as previous generations created conducive beginnings for the present generation. "... The youth can only be the engine of growth when there is opportunity for them to grow. The youth can only be the future leaders only when there is opportunity for them to practice effective leadership now."

The statement asked the youth to use the Day "to launch a path of hope as New Ghanaians, as the PNC prepared to assume the reins of governance in 2008 to implement policies that would liberate the youth from the current penury and hopelessness bestowed on us by the NDC and exacerbated by the nebulous policies of the NPP Administration."