Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has urged the John A. Kufuor Foundation (JAKF), which he founded to train the youth to be responsible leaders, to be compassionate about the plight of people in the northern part of the country.

Ex-President Kufuor, who is the chairman JAKF, made this statement at a breakfast meeting when youth trainees of the foundation, who were en route to the northern region made a stopover at his Atasomanso residence in Kumasi.

JAKF is an independent and non-profit making institution dedicated to advancing effective leadership, good governance and socio economic development in Ghana and the diaspora and the promotion of and sustainability of Ghana and Africa’s development as inspired by the founder’s (President Kufuor) passion for practical and sustainable development.

The former head of state, nicknamed the “Gentle Giant”, in a brief admonition urged the youth on the trip to the northern region as upcoming leaders of this nation and beyond, they must know that those they meet in the northern region are also Ghanaians and should not look down upon them because of the plight they may find themselves in.

He said they should critically observe what goes on in the Northern part of the country to be able to factor them in their plans as future leaders of Ghana and beyond adding that the passion to help people grows with the appreciation of their problems.

Dr. Ernest K.P. Kwarko of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), who gave a pep talk to the trainees on what he termed: “The Jesus example – from milk to bone” through learning and acquiring experience to work in the father’s kingdom stated that at the consumer stage the child is vulnerable hence they needed to be moulded in their formative years.

Dr. Kwarko outlined the three conceptual stages in life as consumer, producer and consumer, and likened them to the human life cycle as Child, Adulthood and pension.

He revealed to them that from one to two years is the recognition period. Two to four years is the reasoning stage where children begin to make decision while five to seven is the rationalising moment.

According to the KATH gynaecologist child formative stage has switched from seven years to five years and outlined the learning stages as: recognition, reasoning and rationalising.

He told the JAKF trainees that the formative stage is an era where the best values are instilled in kids. Dr. Kwarko noted that at the adolescent stage children are found in schools where they are exposed to all manner of things and urged them not to be influenced by and committed to what they are exposed to.

The social advocate explained further that at 18 years one is no longer a child and he/she fends for oneself in which circumstance, one also fends for partners, including those who are vulnerable.

The gynecologist emphasized at the meeting that one would be miserable if one goes on retirement without any plan. In an interview with The Chronicle, Prof Baafour Agyemang, the CEO of JAKF, said the foundation aims at training youths to be responsible leaders.

He explained that Ghana has a leadership problem hence the founding of JAKF by the former president to correct this menace. In attendance at the breakfast meeting at the weekend was Mr. Victor K. Kufuor, the Director of Finance and Project Co-ordinator of JAKF.