Isaac Asiamah
Members of Parliament (MPs) in commemoration of the 57th anniversary of the Republican status of the country, have strongly called for high sense of patriotism and volunteerism at all levels of the nation’s life
The country became a republican state on July 1, 1960 and the date has been set aside to honour the country’s senior citizens in recognition of their contribution to the development of the nation.
The legislators said it is high time Ghanaians did away with petty politics and embraced nationalism to help accelerate the development of the nation.
Leading the commemorative statement on the floor of parliament on Thursday, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Atwima Mponua and Minister for Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah, said it was high time the country inculcated volunteerism in the youth so that they could sacrifice their time and life for its prosperity and socio-economic transformation.
“Mr Speaker, the value of volunteerism is well documented. Its contribution to economic growth and a nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is undisputed,” he noted.
According to the sports minister, in the United Kingdom for instance, over 20 million volunteers every year give more than 100 million hours every week of their time and that the economic value of their activities in various sectors of the economy is worth in excess of £40 billion.
He said it was important for the government to set aside some resources for youth volunteerism, include youth volunteerism in all sectors of the economy, especially education and also facilitate the private sector to support youth volunteerism.
“We need to inculcate the spirit of volunteerism and patriotism in the youth and develop leadership potential among them through volunteerism,” the Atwima Mponua MP proposed.
The MP for Nsawam/Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, said it is time every Ghanaian eschewed indiscipline, nepotism, corruption and selfishness and contribute to national development.
He said all Ghanaians must stand solidly behind the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in the name of patriotism to help it achieve its laudable policies of ‘one district, one factory,’ ‘one village one dam,’ and ‘planting for food and jobs.’
He said it is also a good idea for the present government to create the Office of the Special Prosecutor to fight corruption, “which has been a major canker in the country.”
Mr Annoh-Dompreh said one thing that has been lost on many Ghanaians is “how as a nation we attach importance to time.”
He said many Ghanaians do not respect time which is a function of productivity, adding that it is time Ghanaians attached great importance to punctuality and time factor.
The MP for Ellembele, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, said it’s about time the way politics is practised in the country was changed for politicians to be more constructive and sensitive to the development of the nation.
He indicated that the destruction of the environment must be of concern to every Ghanaians and called on all to support the government in fighting the menace of illegal mining popularly called galamsey.
The MP for Ho West, Emmanuel Bedzrah, said that the spirit of volunteerism must be seen as a major priority for the nation so that the youth and the coming generations will see corporate Ghana as their personal property and protect it with all jealousness.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr