Importance Of The National Patriotic Lectures NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE NATIONAL YOUTH FORUM AND RELEVANCE OF PROMOTING PATRIOTISM AMONG GHANAIAN YOUTH A great son of Ghana, former UN secretary-general, Kofi Annan some years ago said “No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts off from its youth severs its lifeline”. This statement is now more relevant than ever when Ghanaian youth seem to have lost all. To live means, we owe a responsibility to the dead. We those who are alive today owe those gallant Ghanaian’s who lost their lives while fighting for freedom and sovereignty the responsibility of making sure Ghana works again. Ghana’s 54th Republic Anniversary Celebration presented we all as citizens of this blessed land a perfect time for us to come together and ponder over our shared sovereignty which did not come on a silver platter but rather through the sacrifices, toils and agonies of our forefathers. We cannot as a nation claim to still have that sovereignty that was handed over to us 54yrs ago by our forefathers if the love for our nation is almost dead in us. When I think about the deplorable nature of national pride and patriotism in Ghanaian’s of today including myself, I ask myself, what went wrong, will our forefathers, Asaagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the many others who through seemingly many obstacles, struggles and sacrifices handed this great nation to us to inherit forgive us and is there anything that can be done to correct this sorrowful situation we are confronted with? On this note, I want to commend the Acting National Youth Coordinator, Mr. Ras Mubarak, the National Youth Authority and the inspiring speakers like Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, Mr. Kwasi Prat Jnr, Nana Ato Dadzi, Nana Kobina Nkatsia V, Mrs. Angelina Mona Domakyaareh and others who were behind the maiden National Youth Patriotism Lectures in Tamale and Kumasi for the youth of our dear nation to start as a matter of urgency rekindle the spirit of patriotism in the youth of Ghana. They have really altered the thoughts, attitudes and behaviours of the youth with their powerful massages. In a time when our country is in dying need of nothing but selfless people who are ready to relive the visions, ideals and legacies of our forefathers; the youth who are the most important and most populated (70%) in our country are the best people to rely on. Their energies, ideas, resources, creativity, passions and tools that is not available to any other generation but them alone is exactly what I believe our country cries for. The youth themselves have inherited many challenges from the older generation which they are struggling to deal with but we cannot afford to leave them out in an important issue like patriotism. And as a nation our best investment must go into developing our young people who possess the best form of education, technology, creativity, connections, ideas, passion and resources. As I traveled through the famous and beautiful city of Istanbul in Turkey two months ago, I kept wondering what might have gone wrong with my country and its people. Why do others love their country soo much like that? It was when I witnessed an incident in the school I was training in and other schools within the city that I got answers to my question. The national anthem is played every Monday morning before school starts and Friday afternoon before school closes whiles their national flag is hoisted. The national flag is seen in every part of the city, in rooms, roof tops, offices, buses and every corner of the city. Why will people who go through such a system grow up without becoming patriotic to their country, defend and sacrifice for it. I believe this initiative from the National Youth Authority should awaken all of us as citizens to start doing something in our small and diverse ways to carry on and intensify this campaign of restoring national pride and patriotism in Ghanaian’s for I know this is the right and best thing to do for Ghana to see total development worthy of as the gateway to Africa. Long live the youth spirit!!! Long live Ghana, our motherland!!! BY FRIMPONG MUSA, A YOUTH ADVOCATE.