Kwabena Amankwah



When human, especially the naive
non-thinker, gets a taste of power, he loses all sense of good analysis and
direction.

The above statement perfectly
encapsulates the (mis)conduct of Prince Derrick Adjei, Deputy Coordinator of
the National Youth Council, the man who is being maintained by the tax payer to
create a politically neutral platform on which the youth can be mobilized to
seek ways of addressing the multifarious problems that confront us.

All decent and well-meaning
Ghanaians that have the interest of the youth at heart are worried about the
debauched and reprehensible life-style of the youth, characterized by sexual
promiscuity, alcoholism, drug abuse, “homosexualism”, gross disregard for
authority, vandalism, hooliganism and all the ills one can imagine.

Another issue often raised
against the youth is the apparent lack of respect for the elderly generation;
the use of abusive, insulting and divisive language; and the conspicuous
display of sheer empty arrogance.

One would have therefore expected
a public official like Prince Derrick Adjei to commit himself to helping to
develop and implement programmes that will help salvage the youth from the
abyss of hopelessness and helplessness we find themselves in, mainly as a
result of lack of jobs and opportunities to achieve our ambitions.

Unfortunately, this guy has convinced
the whole world that he rather represents more of the problems than the
solution. Indeed, he has made it clear to all that he is a real personification
of all the vices and ills associated with many of the youth.

It is a pity – indeed regrettable
– that Ghana
now has youth leaders like Price Derrick Adjei who exhibits the highest form of
irritating arrogance, gross disrespect for the elderly, and can go about
insulting and ridiculing high profile people like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,
presidential candidate of the largest opposition New Patriotic Party without
any provocation.

What kind of lessons is this guy
giving to the many Ghanaian youth who by virtue of the position he occupies
should see him as a role model and a source of inspiration? It is clear from
the guy’s behaviour and utterances that he is rather “inspiring” the youth to
cherish the vices of arrogance and utter disrespect for the elderly generation.

It is understandable that Derrick
Prince Adjei occupies his current position because of his association with the
ruling National Democratic Congress, and would therefore want to join his other
colleagues to launch needless verbal attacks on opponents of the NDC government,
apparently to please his pay masters.

But, what he seems to have
forgotten is that by virtue of the position he occupies, he is expected provide
the platform that will bring together the youth of Ghana from diverse backgrounds –
ethnic, religious and political – to champion their common cause. In fact, this
is what he being paid to do for the nation.

This he can only do if he
conducts himself in manner that will make him an agent of unity and solidarity
for the youth of Ghana,
instead of being the agent of divisiveness he is proving to be.

It is just logical and
commonsensical to understand that you cannot go about insulting high profile
political leaders like Nana Akufo-Addo and expect to create the atmosphere of
harmony and unity required for the youth to work together in pursuit of our common
cause.

Well, I am not at all bothered
about whether or not Derrick Prince Adjei is a homosexual – that would be his
own bedroom affair, if he is indeed one – but my worry has to do with the fact
that the guy is proving to be a big disgrace to the youth of Ghana – oh yes,
the guy appears to be more of a DAMAGING LIABILITY other than a
useful asset to the nation.

And I think all decent-minded and
well-meaning Ghanaians who are really concerned about the youth should be
worried about the (mis)conduct of this guy who is clearly leading the youth on
the path of unrighteousness.

In any way, does it make sense
for this guy to be paid by the suffering tax payer for him to abandon his
official duties by 2:30 p.m to drive to the studios of Asempa FM only to insult
people and exhibit the kind of pride and arrogance that caused Lucifer to lose
his enviable place in heaven, as he did on Monday, September 13, 2010?

Oh, wither mother Ghana! It is
only on your soils where leaders do not know what they are about that a public
official working as a coordinator of National Youth Council can abandon his
work and turn himself into a party propagandist.

One also wonders why characters
like Prince Derrick Adjei should be serving in the government of the law
professor who is said to a prince of peace and the embodiment of all that the
word DECENCY
denotes and connotes.

Oh yes, Ghana is indeed a land of
hypocrites – that is why an insulting and foul-mouthed character like Prince
Derrick Adjei remains at
post even though he has proved to be a damaging liability not only to the
youth, but the entire nation.



Kwabena Amankwah is a freelance
journalist, a member of E/R NPP Communication Committee, former TESCON-UCC
Secretary and Campaign Correspondent, Akufo-Addo for President ’08.
amaskwabena@yahoo.com. 0244-217504.