Former President John Mahama Announces Plan to Separate Youth from Sports Ministry
Former President John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has unveiled a bold plan to separate the Youth from the Sports Ministry if the party emerges victorious in this year’s elections.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of the NDC’s National Youth Wing Secretariat and Campaign on Friday, March 29, 2024, Mahama highlighted the need to refocus the ministry’s attention on youth development, rather than solely emphasizing sports, particularly the national football team, the Black Stars.
Mahama emphasized that while the ministry is labeled as “Youth and Sports,” its focus has predominantly been on sports, particularly the Black Stars, neglecting other sports disciplines and broader youth development initiatives.
In outlining his vision for the proposed separation, Mahama explained,
“We are going to separate Youth and Sports because it’s a youth and sports ministry but over the years, what we do is that the concentration is on sports and even on sports, the concentration is on Black Stars at the expense of any other sports.”
Under Mahama’s proposed plan, a dedicated ministry or service for youth development would be established to specifically address the needs and interests of youth across various sectors of the economy. He emphasized that this new entity would prioritize mainstreaming youth interests across all sectors and implementing strategies aimed at generating employment opportunities for young people.
Mahama underscored the importance of supporting a 24-hour economy and affirmed that the new ministry would play a pivotal role in realizing this vision by focusing on job creation and economic empowerment for the youth.
Mahama’s plan reflects a strategic shift towards a more holistic approach to youth development, with a commitment to empowering young people across all facets of society and ensuring their active participation in the nation’s economic growth and development.