‘Enact bill to create seats in Parliament for youth’ (13/02/09)

Story: Jennifer Dornoo & Gifty Bamfo
THE Founder and Leader of the Public Youth and Students Movement of Ghana (PUSMOG), Mr Fredrick Duncan Modzabi, has urged the government to enact a bill to create two seats in Parliament for the youth.
He said that would ensure an effective representation of the youth in Parliament and enable them to share their opinion on issues concerning the country, as well as contribute to decision making for the progress and development of the country.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Modzabi said the time had come for the youth to be recognised in governance and indicated that the seats, if created by the government, would serve useful purposes.
He called on all the youth of Ghana to unite and present a common voice on the matter, saying, "The time has come for us to consider our destiny to unite and fight for our position in government."
Mr Modzabi explained that the two seats he was advocating for should be open to the general public for interested persons to contest and be elected to fill during parliamentary elections.
He said PUSMOG was an independent organisation which was not associated with any political party, adding that the movement petitioned Parliament in a proposal it sent last year.
"We pleaded with the then Parliament to consider and recognise the youth in Parliament by creating the two seats," he said, and recalled that the move had not been successful because of the change in government.
He, therefore, called on the NDC administration to help make the call successful.