Adolescent Parliament sits in Sunyani
The right of adolescents to take part in and influence processes and decisions that affect their lives is enshrined in the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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It is on record that Ghana was the first country to ratify that convention and related general comments on the right to be heard and on the rights of adolescents.
Upholding these rights supports adolescents’ attainment of voices and agency to engage meaningfully in decision-making regardless of their socially determined circumstances.
But despite binding international, regional and national obligations, there is a global institutional under-investment in the development of robust adolescent engagement strategies.
Even though adolescents have the energy and optimism needed to influence governance and demand accountability, no effort has been made by the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs), in terms of budgetary allocation, legal and policy frameworks and programmes on the rights of adolescents to engage.
In recent years, there has been a shift from viewing adolescents solely as passive beneficiaries of services to considering them as powerful agents of change.
To enable a positive pathway from adolescence to adulthood, adolescents must be able to express their views to service providers and decision-makers as well as practice their evolving capacities and decision-making skills within their cities and beyond.
Adolescent Parliament
In an effort to provide a platform for the adolescents in the Sunyani Municipality to influence governance and demand accountability, an Adolescent Parliament has been inaugurated.
Members of the Adolescent Parliament have been carefully selected from various communities in and around Sunyani to meet occasionally to deliberate on issues and embark on advocacy to influence decision-making in the area.
The Adolescent Parliament is one of the strategic components of a three-year initiative dubbed: Resilient City for Adolescents (RCA) Project, being implemented by Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF), a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
The NGO is implementing the project with its primary partners, the Indigenous Women Empowerment Network and Citizens Watch Ghana, with funding by Botnar under its programme: Healthy Cities for Adolescents for £329,000 through Encorys, UK.
It was a delight when the 19-member Adolescent Parliament was inaugurated in Sunyani on Thursday when members held their first sitting to deliberate on issues bordering on their welfare.
Both the Majority and Minority sides of the Adolescent Parliament engaged in a healthy debate about the inability of successive governments to complete the Sunyani Regional Library Project which was started 21 years ago.
Three contractors who have so far worked on the GETFund-funded project ended up packing their work tools from the site because of a lack of funds.
While similar projects which began at the same time as the Sunyani Regional Library Project have been completed, the Sunyani library project remains uncompleted to the discomfort of members of the Adolescent Parliament and the entire population of the Bono Region.
Some members of the Adolescent Parliament taking their oath during the inauguration
Excessive partisanship
The Speaker of Parliament, who was the guest of honour, was represented by the Deputy Minority Whip and Member of Parliament for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim.
Addressing the gathering, he expressed concern about excessive partisanship exhibited by MPs representing constituencies in the Bono Region.
He observed that through their deliberations, members of the Sunyani Adolescent Parliament exposed the weaknesses of the current politicians in the region.
"I think any politician, whether NPP or NDC who sees the state of the Sunyani Library Project started 21 years ago will not be happy. But that is the voice of the youth," he said.
Mr Ibrahim, therefore, urged the youth not to look at issues unconcerned while they negatively affected their lives.
"Don't say speaking out is politics. Do politics. Politics is not a bad thing. Politics brings out democratic dividends which is development. However, it is partisan which is evil", he stated.
Mr Ibrahim wondered why the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Sunyani, which was started with the University of Health and Allied Science (UHAS) at Ho, did not have adequate infrastructure.
He wondered why the Sunyani Regional Hospital which was upgraded recently to a tertiary health facility was not provided with the needed resources before the upgrade, even though the then Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, is an MP from the region.
"We need to come together as MPs from the region and do politics that will yield dividends for the region and refrain from partisanship which has divided our fronts to the detriment of our people," he said.
Negative behaviour
For her part, the Omanhemaa of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Akosua Dua Asor Sika Brayie II, commended GLOMEF for the initiative and advised the beneficiaries to use the opportunity to nurture their skills in public speaking.
She, however, asked members of the Adolescent Parliament to refrain from all negative behaviours that could drag the name of the initiative into the mud.
Nana Sika Brayie II also challenged parents to work hard to provide the basic needs of their children, to prevent them from being influenced negatively through gifts from their peers and bad adults in society.
Unwavering commitment
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of GLOMEF, Raphael Ahenu, said the establishment of the Adolescent Parliament was a testament to the unwavering commitment to nurture the next generation of leaders and provide them with the opportunity to actively participate in the democratic process.
"It is a reflection of our belief in the power and potential of our adolescents to shape the future of our city, the country and the world at large," he added.
Mr Ahenu said the Adolescent Parliament was not just a symbolic gesture, but rather a platform for real and meaningful engagement and space where the ideas, concerns and aspirations of the adolescents would be heard.
"Through the Adolescent Parliament, you will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful debates, propose policies and advocate for the courses that matter most to you. Your voices will be amplified and your actions will have an impact on decisions that shape our city and society in general," he said.
