Speakers at the 25th Denmark Seminar held at Dalun in the Kumbungu district in the northern region have advised young people to take advantage of digitalized technology.
Former northern regional director of the National Population Council, Bag-Zaa Naa Alhassan Issahaku Amadu, who chaired the two days seminar admonished young people to see themselves as lucky because everything has been made simple and easy through technology.
He was of the opinion that young people adopt so quickly to sophisticated technology that there was the need for proper parental guidance. He went on to challenge young people to stop misusing the internet but rather use it to enhance their livelihoods.
He expressed fears that if care is not taken, the beautiful Ghanaian culture will be eroded and traditions mutilated and the educational suffering further setbacks.
On the poverty situation, Chief Bag-Zaa Naa dismissed assertions that northern region is among the poorest regions in the country. The region, he said, was considered poor because of people’s attitudes arguing that the region is never poor but the people actions and inactions have portrayed it as such.
What is even painful, Chief Bag-Zaa Naa observed was that, in spite of the cultural heritage, religious standing, the level of illiteracy in the region is on the rise as compared to other regions.
According to him, for every 100 people in the northern region, 63 are illiterates which he says is very serious. The former population council director observed that the young people were Ghana’s future leaders and for them to be true future leaders, they must be what he called credible adults to coach and guide them.
The Chairman of Ghana Development Communities Association (GDCA) Dr Osman Alhassan emphasized the need for the youth to take advantage of the “Digitization Technology system”.
According to him, Digitization Technology is a great weapon for development which must be taken seriously and used wisely by the youth to promote and develop themselves, communities and the nation at large.
Government of Ghana has embarked on a digital agenda aimed at becoming a leading digital hub in Africa and therefore has since 2003 adopted a programme called “Ghana ICT for Accelerated Development” (ICT4AD) policy which has contributed to the increasing growth of ICT in Ghana.
This, Dr Osman said was a good opportunity for the teeming youth to arm themselves with useful skills and knowledge to compete with their counterparts in the developed countries.
Paramount chief of Dalun traditional area Alhaji Mahama Amidu advised the youth to be conscious of the type of information they post on social media. Information posted on social media he noted should promote peace, unity and development.
He thanked the GDCA for its contribution towards the development of the region. A five minutes silent prayer was observed for the late Alhajj Alhassan Abubakari (Gushei Naa) whose efforts brought the organization to the region.
GDCA was established some 25 years ago and is currently contributing to the development of the region in many ways.
The annual seminar brought together chiefs, representatives of women groups, youth groups and Community Based Organizations (CBOs), government officials to take stock of activities of GDCA and also brainstorm on how to tackle pertinent developmental challenges still facing rural communities in their operational area.
The 2018 Denmark Seminar was on the theme; ‘Youth as Agents of Change in Today’s Digital World’.
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