By Afedzi Abdullah, GNA
Accra, Aug. 21, GNA – Delegates at the just
ended 11th African Youth and Governance Convergence (AYGC) have called on
African governments to demonstrate strong commitment to the fight against
corruption.
The youth are deeply concerned about the
pervasive nature of corruption leading to massive diversion and siphoning of
state resources for investment in social infrastructure, education and
professional training.
They, therefore, urged governments to
swiftly initiate criminal prosecution and stiffer punishments including longer
jail terms and confiscation of assets of corrupt officials.
The AYGC was organised by the Youth Bridge
Foundation (YBF) in collaboration with the National Youth Authority (NYA).
It was attended by about 140 youths (120
delegates and 20 Committee Chair-Persons) from 32 African countries and the
Diaspora.
They were to critically assess the Africa
Union’s Agenda 2063 under the theme: “Partnership for Youth Development, Key
Building Africa beyond Aid”.
The youth recommended for the creation of
independent regional anti-corruption bodies and effective coordination of their
activities where member states served as checks and balances on each other.
They emphasised community forums to discuss
governmental institutions and hold duty bearers accountable for transparency.
They called on all stakeholders, including
the youth, legal officers, law enforcement officers and politicians to be
actively involved in the discussions and solutions to eradicate the incidence
of selective justice.
Concerned about the ignorance of
institutionalised systems to address challenges in the legal sector, the youth
further admonished African governments to focus on Alternate Dispute Resolution
mechanisms to ensure speedy and effective delivery of justice.
Mr Seth Oteng, the Executive Director for
Youth Bridge Foundation, explained that the AYGC had since its inception in
2009 served as an important platform for grooming young people in Africa and
the Diaspora on leadership and community impact among other topics.
GNA
