By Edward Acquah, GNA
Accra, Feb. 11, GNA—Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, former Speaker of Parliament, has urged young Ghanaians to pursue political leadership grounded in knowledge, mentoring and national service.
He cautioned that politics should not be pursued for personal enrichment, stressing that leadership required ethical purpose and adequate preparation.
Prof. Oquaye made the call at the inception meeting of the European Union Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Project in Ghana, organised by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in collaboration with the European Union and the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP), in Accra on Tuesday.
“In this world of technocracy, you realise that every duty you be called upon to perform… you must be purposeful about your interest in politics,” he said.
Prof. Oquaye said politics demanded preparation and competence to enable meaningful contributions to national discourse and policy formulation.
He said young people, as the future of the nation, must anchor their political ambitions in learning and political philosophy.
“Those who want to rule must be taught and they must learn and they must commit themselves to the ideas, beliefs, values… Knowledge is a tool of the trade,” he said.
Prof. Oquaye encouraged aspiring politicians to seek mentoring from experienced leaders and rise above partisan divisions, describing politics as a collective responsibility to serve the nation.
“Politics is not dichotomy. It is a matter of us all preparing ourselves to serve our nation,” he said.
Prof. Oquaye warned that pursuing politics for financial gain undermined public trust and good governance.
The WYDE Project seeks to empower emerging political leaders, particularly women and youth, through capacity building, mentoring and networking.
Mrs Anna Wasserfall, KAS Ghana Country Representative, described the initiative as “very targeted and very practical,” explaining that it combined “capacity building, targeted mentoring and networking.”
She said the approach was critical to nurturing effective leadership and urged participants to take ownership of the project, stressing that its success depended on their active engagement and sense of responsibility.
Mr Rune Skinnebach, European Union Ambassador to Ghana, said young people must be placed “at the very center of the action” to build inclusive and democratic societies.
He said the WYDE initiative sought to strengthen youth voices and remove barriers to political participation.
Mr Gary Klaukka, Executive Director of ENoP, said democracy thrived when young people were actively involved in political parties and decision-making, describing Ghana as a positive example of multi-party democracy.
Mr Rashid Ibrahim, President of the National Union of Ghana Students, said the project would help bridge the long-standing gap in structured pathways for nurturing young political leaders and promote ethical, tolerant and issue-based leadership among the youth.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey