By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Sekondi, April 19, GNA – A Youth Activist has called on the authorities in the Western Region to, as a matter of urgency, revert activities at the newly established youth centre in Sekondi to serve its mandated purpose.
Youth centres all over the world serve as recreational centers, intended primarily for use by children aged 11years and above.
The Centre supports opportunities for youth to develop their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive abilities and to experience achievement, leadership, enjoyment, friendship, and recognition.
But currently, the new youth centre had been limited to hosting of programme by entities for a fee, drinking spot and restaurant, lacking the real purpose of gathering youth in the Metropolis for their potential development to contribute meaningfully to the development of the country at large, Mr. Mohammed Salis Tanko, a Youth Activist has said.
He was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency and stated that the current usage of the facility defeats the core mandate by the government and its UN partners resolution to develop the physical, social and emotional needs of the youth in the 21st century.
He said, “currently Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programme were all over in Accra and Ashanti Regions alongside other youth policies and projects with many life changing and youth-led initiatives making news headlines.
He said however, the STMA in the Western Region was missing in action and that it was sad that the new facility has been turned into profit making social center for alcoholic drinks, fast foods, funerals and church gatherings.”
He said even the Metro office of the Youth Centre operated from a small space while the main auditorium for seminars was strictly pay as you go before the youth could be allowed to organize any of their programme.
Mr. Tanko said many of the youth were losing it in society because such receptors for hope and guard aside the homes were nonexistent…” This is a major challenge confronting NYA and all the vibrant youth here”.
He appealed to all stakeholders to peacefully remove all traders at the centre and freely give access to youth groups for rapid development of the region as a whole.
GNA