The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has challenged the leadership of the country’s security agencies to make deliberate efforts to absorb members of the National Cadet Corps and sister volunteer groups into their agencies in order to utilize the many talents unearthed during their training for national development.
He has also called for the setting aside of a day, possibly 1st July, to celebrate the very important and diverse contributions of the youth to national development, to be known as National Youth Day.
Vice President Bawumia made the call while speaking at the 70th Anniversary of the National Cadet Corps Ghana and 7th National Cadet Youth Parade held at the Black Star Square, Accra, on Monday, July 1, 2024.
The celebration is under the theme “Empowering Ghana’s Youth For Peace And Stability Towards Development”.
Dr. Bawumia noted that the National Cadet Corps is the biggest and most reliable youth organization in Ghana, with a total of one thousand, two hundred and seventy-six (1,276) cadet corps in our institutions and a numerical strength of seventy-six thousand, five hundred and seventy-seven (76,577) memberships at the basic, secondary, and tertiary levels, receiving various levels of training and discipline.
“It is time for various security agencies to take a critical look at unearthing brilliant talents like what we have witnessed today from the National Cadet Corps and other sister volunteer youth groups by giving them some quota and the opportunity when it comes to recruiting and enlisting into the various security services,” the Vice President stated. “This is very important and will help the manpower of the service. The discipline and knowledge they get from this training are very rich and can be tapped into. I am informed that most of our good security chiefs across board were once upon a time members of the cadet corps when they were in school,” he disclosed.
In line with this call for greater collaboration between the National Cadet Corps and the security agencies, Dr. Bawumia has urged the leadership of the Cadet Corps to work together with the leadership of the security agencies to prepare the appropriate documentation for consideration and possible action by Government.
Alluding to the theme for the celebration, Dr. Bawumia expressed confidence that the youth of Ghana, as they have done in the past, will maintain the peace and stability of the nation before, during and after the coming election.
“This is not the first time, and I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the youth of this country will exhibit their constitutional right diligently in electing who will lead us for the next four (4) years peacefully. I mean peacefully before, during, and after the upcoming election on December 7th,” “Ghana’s youth of today tell us the future of our Republic. The discipline embedded in them tells us how the future will be when most of us are no longer in leadership. I am happy that over the years, the Government has deemed it necessary to create an environment for the youth (the National Cadet Corps) to have their day celebrated in July every year.”
Vice President Bawumia appealed to the various heads of missions in Ghana to consider using their offices to promote socio-cultural exchanges among the youth of their respective countries, especially with the cadet corps, to, among others, expose them to other cultures, help them appreciate the joys of living and help to develop Ghana.
“We believe that when the youth acquire experience while in school, they will not desire to go and live abroad the rest of their lives but use that experience to develop their home country.”
Other Speakers on the occasion included Deputy minister of Education, Rev John Ntim Fordjour and the Executive Director of the National Cadet corps of Ghana, Mr Nicholas Amarteifio.
Some of the cadet groups filed past, with the Vice President taking the salute. Prizes were given to some deserving cadets at the parade.
