Leadership Is Earned; Not Just Granted

It has been claimed that the low representation of youth in governance and decision-making structures of Ghana is
worrisome. This is according to the Rural Initiatives for Self-Empowerment Ghana (RISE-Ghana), a Non-
Governmental Organisation.
Speaking to the press on the sidelines of a forum in Bolgatanga, Ms Jaw-haratu Amadu, Head of Programmes at
RISE-Ghana, said the situation needed urgent attention to change the trend and address challenges confronting
young people for sustainable development.
“We know that in Ghana, 38 percent of our population is youth…but very limited numbers are represented in our
governance and decision-making structures”, Ms Amadu lamented.
“When you look at our policy on age bracket for youth in Ghana is between 15 and 35 years but our district
assembly structures have very limited number of youth and women, some don’t even have youth participation both
appointed and elected”.
The forum was organised by RISE-Ghana with funding from Norsaac, a local NGO working in the Northern Region
as part of the Heard Everywhere and Represented Daily (HEARD) project.
It seems that in Ghana, the presence of a microphone has become the basis for people to talk and complain, whether
they have something useful to state or not.
The fact of life, all across the planet, is that leadership is earned, not bestowed. To earn the right to access a position,
whether by election or appointment, one must engage in conduct that attracts those who do the appointment. In that
case, we should believe that what we should engage our youth to do, is engage in acts that attract the appointing
authorities and individuals.
The mere fact that an individual is a woman, a man or youth, does not necessary mean that the person would engage
in acts and decisions that promote the wellbeing of women, men and youth. Indeed and in fact, it has been
recognized, many times over, that the reverse has been the case.
It may sound romantic to require representation of all sectors of society in leadership. However, it makes sense to
require that we have quality and commitment in leadership. The bottom-line is that that is what matters.
(Editorial of the Daily Searchlight of 2 nd December, 2024).