The Executive Director of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, has called on the youth to resist being used as tools of violence and intimidation by politicians.
According to him, young people must think about their futures and draw a red line for themselves, refusing to engage in any acts that would endanger their lives or the peace of the country.
Rev Opuni Frimpong, who was speaking in an interview with Etsey Atisu on GhanaWeb’s Election Desk, noted that the youth have a vital role to play in the development of the nation, and should not allow themselves to be manipulated by selfish politicians who only care about their own interests.
“We need young people; a new generation that must think about their future and say I love you but I cannot destroy myself for you to build your own. So, we need young people who will draw red lines for themselves that, ‘Honourable, I’ll follow you, I’ll arrange the chairs for the rally. We are having elections; I will do all the posters and all that. Go to the media and do all the communication.
“’But if you ask me to take a gun, a stick, machete, whatever, to go and kill somebody, your excellency, I’m sorry, I won’t do it because I’m also building my own future. I don’t know what tomorrow will be like,’” he said.
Among other things, Rev Opuni Frimpong added that oftentimes, the young people who engage in electoral violence are motivated to do so by forces within the political space.
“It is not like the young person would wake up in the morning, have breakfast and decide to go and destroy a party office. It doesn’t work that way. There is always a mobilisation effort; it is someone who sits to design the scenario for vandalisation.
“Then they arrange for buses, the materials with which they are going to use to cause the violence, it’s someone’s job. The young person does not have money to buy those things. Beyond the items for the violence, they make food available and sometimes, they are given GH¢50 after that.
“… But there are also young people who have the will and determination to say they are not going to throw themselves at the politicians,” he added.