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| | The 62nd Annual New Year School and Conference |    | | | The 62nd Annual New Year School and Conference has opened at the University. The week-long programme is being organised by the Institute of Continuing and Distance Education (ICDE), and is on the theme, “Harnessing the Power of the Youth for Accelerated Development”.
 In his welcome address, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Kwesi Yankah, said the New Year School had over the years been a key instrument through which the University of Ghana discharged its social responsibilities, and directly demonstrated its commitment to community life, extension work and development. He expressed satisfaction at the number of young people participating in the School, and hoped that subsequent years would attract the youth, not merely because of the theme chosen. Prof. Yankah suggested that in future the youth could be brought on board as integral and regular components of the New Year School, to create opportunity for inter-generational dialogue.
 The out-going Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Akua Sena Dansua, performed the formal opening of the school. She called for effective harnessing and mobilization of the potential of the youth which she said could accelerate the socio-cultural, economic, and political development of the Nation. She noted that Government recognises that without requisite investment in the youth there cannot be meaningful development. Honourable Dansua said it was for this reason that the National Youth Policy comes with action plans to harness the potential of the youth for development.
 Delivering the Keynote address, the Managing Director of Barclays Bank, Ghana Mr. Benjamin Tettey Dabrah, described the immense potential in young people as a dynamite , which when used in the right way could do great things for the nation. He suggested that even as discussions are held on ways to harness the power of the youth towards accelerated development in Ghana, the country needs to recognise the contribution that young people have already made, and find ways of publicising such contribution so that it serves as a motivation to the current generation.
The Director of the ICDE, Prof. Yaw Oheneba-Sakyi, listed positive outcomes of past New Year Schools, noting that a very significant outcome of last year’s School was the setting up of the Constitutional Review Commission by the Government to solicit the views of Ghanaians on appropriate revisions to the 1992 constitution of Ghana to better serve the needs of all Ghanaians.
Prof. Oheneba-Sakyi said this year’s theme was selected to create an opportunity for discussions between Ghana’s future leaders on pertinent issues that affect them, and the traditional New Year School participants from the District Assemblies, Churches, Non¬ Governmental Organizations and other Civil Society Groups. He added that the name of the School had to be changed to Annual New Year School and Conference to reflect the novelty of presentation of scholarly papers on selected topics during parallel sessions.
The Ceremony was chaired by the Chairman of the University Council, Prof. Justice Samuel Date-Bah, who noted that the youth of Africa, with a median age of 20 years or less, was a “powerful, vibrant, and valuable resource for development”.
Prof. Date-Bah, also a Justice of the Supreme Court, commended the Government for adopting a National Youth Policy in line with United Nations recommendations, hoping that deliberations at the Conference would create ideas for implementation of the Youth Policy.
Some dignitaries who graced the occasion were the Minister of Environment and Science, Hon. Sherry Ayertey, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Nii Nortey Dua, as well as chiefs and traditional leaders and Members of the Diplomatic Corps. Others were the Registrar of the University, Mr. Joseph M. Budu, and Provosts, Deans and Directors, as well as Past Directors of the ICDE.
 This year’s New Year School and Conference is being organised in partnership with Barclays Bank (Ghana) Ltd. and the Multi-Media Group Limited, owners of Joy F.M.. It is being sponsored by the Agricultural Development Bank, Ghana Commercial Bank, and HFC Bank. Others include the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Service Scheme, Voluntary Service Overseas, the Ghana National Association of Teachers, Sambus Company Ltd, and Prime Time Company Ltd.
Please click here for speeches delivered at the opening ceremony | | | | Date Published: 21/01/2011 | | | |   |
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