By Philip Tengzu
Wa (UW/R), Aug. 21, GNA – The Youth Placement for Employability Solutions Ghana (Y-PES) a youth-centred organisation has organised a maiden regional Youth Organisational Summit in the Upper West Region to empower and encourage young people to take initiatives for their personal and community development.
The summit, organised in partnership with the University College for Community and Organisational Development (CCOD), with the Wala Traditional Council as a patron, brought together hundreds of young people including students from the second cycle institutions and traditional leaders.
Speaking at the opening of the one-day summit, Mr. Mumuni Sulemana, the Executive Director of Y-PES Ghana, said the summit formed part of the activities of the organisation to commemorate the International Youth Day.
He said it was to create a platform for young people to share practical lessons and experiences to enable them to manage and navigate their life challenges to achieve their aspirations.
He encouraged young people to identify their capabilities and work in synergy if they want to become successful in life.
Mr. Sulemana said: “As young people let’s know that we can only move forward, we can only get what we want when we are together.
“What you need to do is to unearth your talents, nurture that talent, work towards it and you can become the icon you want to be.
“It is time to believe in yourself, where your passion is, take advantage of it,” Mr. Sulemana admonished.
He explained that the desire of the overlord of the Wala Traditional Area, Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV, was to rapidly develop the traditional area and the region in general, hence the decision of the council to partner with Y-PES Ghana to empower the youth in the region.
He gave the assurance that Y-PES Ghana would continue to collaborate with organisations to create opportunities for the young people in the region to develop.
Speakers at the summit were Dr. Gabriel Gbiel Benarkuu, the President of CCOD; Professor Fred McBagonluri, Provost and President of Academic University City College; Mr. Sharif Ghali Abdulai, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs and Madam Tung-Teiya Dahamani, a Ghana’s Most Beautiful Queen.
Dr Benarkuu observed that some young people had the desire to get rich quick and become successful through easy means who sometimes “get so much involved into politics blindly.”
He said young people did not have the patience and tenacity to develop themselves but “instead, they want the shortcuts.”
“They want the simplest way to become successful but to become a great entrepreneur is not a one-day action.
“To become a great entrepreneur is about discipline, it’s about patience, it’s about living in a life of humility,” Dr. Benarkuu explained.
On his part, Prof McBagonluri told the young people to “work twice as hard as anybody” if they wanted to be successful entrepreneurs or to succeed in their endeavours.
He stressed the need for them to be patient, persistent, and “willing to overcome adversity in every shape and form” to succeed.
Mr. Abdulai suggested that Ghanaian universities should provide graduates with practical knowledge and experience to prepare them for the job market and entrepreneurship ventures.
He also advised young graduates against dependency on the government for jobs saying, “There are no jobs anywhere, you may have to create your own jobs.”
Madam Dahamani also encouraged young people to be determined, focused and persevere to achieve their aspirations despite the challenges and obstacles they might face along the line.
The two-fold event also saw the recognition of industrious individuals and institutions in the region for their diverse contributions to the development of the region and the nation.
A total of 18 individuals and institutions, including the late Sir Dr. Edward N. Gyader, a celebrated gynaecologist, were recognised.
GNA