Students of African Philosophy in the Department of Classics and Philosophy at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) are pleading on the youth not to trade their democratic franchise to self-seeking politicians nor to be made machetes for political violence before, during and after the general elections.
The graduates-in-the-making have also expressed displeasure about the frequent chastisement of arts programmes contending that the programmes enhance the thinking faculty of students to adapt to diverse job opportunities and therefore should not be underestimated.
They made these known at the Assin Slave Market and the Elmina Castle in the Central Region on March 4, 2016 during an academic research dubbed: “Democracy and Consensus in African Traditional Politics: A Plea For A Non-Partisan Politics.”.
The research which aimed at recognising the effective role of traditional leaders in societal administration during the pre-colonial era was to also plead for the involvement of traditional leaders in national administration for a peaceful and non-partisan national development.
The representative of the students Amatey Laryea called for an effective participation of traditional leaders in the adopted democratic national administration to reintroduce pre-colonial peace and tranquillity into the current system of things.
He also noted that the votes of some youth are decided by the pocket of some politicians who have their self-interest at heart at the expense national interest. He blamed this on the high rate of youth unemployment.
This according to him plays a role in influencing money-conscious-youth to exclaim victory at all cost including distorting peaceful elections.
In an interview Pauline Melvin an American exchange student, she related that Ghana has enormous resources that when utilised appropriately, will reduce graduate unemployment. Ghanaian-Zambian student Jahaziel Osei Mensah shared a similar view.
Lecturer of the level 400 course Mr Richard Ansah reemphasised on the need to remind the youth about the non-partisan cultural administrative style in order to desist them from being used by selfish politicians as armouries for violence.
Some students suggested that reaching a consensus on national policies in Parliament is far beneficial to national development than doing party politics.
As Ghana goes to the polls come November 7, the students beseeched the youth to be circumspect with their political decisions recognising the contributions of our forefathers in attaining 59 years as the nation.
They also appealed to the government to put mechanisms in place in creating more jobs for non-sciences graduates.
