In Ghana’s political theatre, few youth movements have commanded the energy and influence of the Tertiary Students Confederacy of the New Patriotic Party (TESCON) but beneath the slogans, cheers and glowing tributes lies a quiet frustration, one that threatens the very foundation of the party’s youthful engine.

At a recent TESCON General Meeting, Freshers Orientation and Handing-Over ceremony at Valley View University, Dr. Edwin Obodai Provencal, former Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST), laid bare the paradox that defines TESCON’s reality.

In his stirring keynote, he praised the organization’s spirit but also exposed a hard truth: the youth wing celebrated in public is often side-lined in private.

TESCON has long been the NPP’s ideological breeding ground and grassroots machinery, mobilizing students, dominating digital spaces and invigorating rallies often with little to no financial support. Its members don’t just talk politics; they live it. But when the campaign season ends and decisions are made behind closed doors, they are routinely left out of the room.

Dr. Provencal's address echoed the sentiments reverberating among the youthful audience. Their commitment is unquestionable. Their energy, unmatched. But the lack of institutional support, limited mentorship, and absence in strategic roles cast a long shadow over their efforts. Many feel reduced to spectators in a game they help win; acknowledged at rallies, ignored in policy.

The contrast is stark: public praise and photo ops versus private exclusion and missed opportunities. TESCON, the supposed incubator for the NPP’s future leaders, is too often relegated to a ceremonial role instead of a consultative one.

As youthful activism becomes a central force in shaping Ghana’s political future, the NPP must recognize the strategic value TESCON brings beyond the campaign trail. This generation is not just seeking visibility; they’re demanding a seat at the table.

If the party fails to bridge the gap between rhetoric and reality, it risks alienating the very base that has carried its message into lecture halls, dormitories, and digital battlefields. Now is the time for the NPP to align its praise with policy — or risk losing TESCON’s loyalty to disillusionment.