Techiman
(Brong Ahafo)
The
project, comprising a museum, conference centre, open-air theatre and a craft
shop, among other facilities would be used to train the youth in craft and
other skills.
Nana
Owusu Agyare, Akwamuhene of the Traditional Area, announced this at the
inauguration of Techiman District branch of the Federation of Youth Association
of Ghana (FEDYAG) at Techiman.
Richard
Kofi Bedzra, Brong-Ahafo Regional Youth Coordinator of the National Youth Council,
said the FEDYAG, formerly known as Committee of Youth Associations (COYA),
emerged out of the absence of a consistent programme to deal with the many
youth associations in the country.
The
idea is to evolve a framework to give the youth groups, definite
responsibilities and direction to enable them to contribute meaningfully to
national development, he said. Bedzra said youth associations existed with the
objective of assisting in the development of towns and villages and to maintain
discipline among members.
He
cautioned that it would be undemocratic to prevent the emergence of youth
groups and FEDYAG aimed at giving such groups direction to improve their
projects and programmes. The Regional Coordinator, however, noted with regret
that "the inauguration of such organizations sometimes also witnessed
their burial ceremonies" but expressed the hope that the Techiman branch
would be different and advised the members to nurture and maintain it to grow
to become a model for others.
Bedzra
advised the youth to take advantage of the President's Special Initiatives
Programmes that were aimed at ensuring that unskilled and unemployed youth were
trained to be able to support themselves, their families, the community and the
nation as a whole.
Isaac
Osei Antwi, District Chief Executive, appealed to the youth to desist from
indulging in practices that could endanger their lives and advised them to be
disciplined and be committed to hard work.
Mrs
Elizabeth Owusu, Women's Organiser of the Association, appealed to women to
join the association to enable them to learn more skills to be able to
contribute meaningfully to the development of their communities.
In
a welcoming address, Gabriel Kwasi Kudom, President of FEDYAG, said the
Association would carry out social, economic, political, educational and
cultural activities. A seven-member executive was elected to steer the affairs
of the Association.
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