Chief Justice of the Republic, Justice Kwesi Anin Yeboah, has stated that the youth of Ghana hold the key to the development of the nation and that the kind of efforts they make towards the development of the country will determine the speed of her transformation.
Speaking to participants at the annual Chief Justice’s Mentoring Programme which brings together students from junior high and senior high schools to inspire them to pick up the study of law, today 12 October 2022, on the theme “I Pledge Myself to the Service of Ghana”, Chief Justice Kwesi Anin Yeboah said the developed world is what it is today because of the contributions of its youth and adults alike.
According to the Chief Justice, his annual mentorship programme “is designed to inspire young people to take up service to the nation, whether in the Judiciary or in other equally noble endeavours” for purposes of building the nation to the status of those that we collectively admire, especially, the western world.
“It is impossible to overstate the need to devote oneself to the service of our country. Often, it is thought that service to our motherland can only be delivered from some particular positions. The truth, however, is far from this. A nation’s greatness is collected as a sum of the individual efforts of its citizens, wherever and however they may apply themselves.
A nation cannot be great if only its public servants are great. A nation is not truly great until all of its citizens are bound by a sense of duty to the collective good. So what I want to say to you young people here and the millions out there who cannot be here today is that, your efforts are what will make this country, like those ones beyond the seas that I am sure you admire” Chief Justice Anin Yeboah said.
“It took the efforts of people like you, some only a few years older than some of you here today, to produce those inventions, those ideas and those projects that have made some countries answer to the description of “developed”. The task I set for you, is, to also see yourself as capable of doing the same for Ghana.
To do this, will require not only competence at your tasks, but integrity, patriotism and belief in yourselves and your nation. Those are the values that will differentiate you from others and set you and our nation on the path to greatness” the Chief Justice added.
Ghana’s fate
Delivering a speech on behalf of the first lady of the Republic, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the special guest of honour at this year’s Chief Justice mentoring programme, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, chairperson of the board of directors of the Minerals Commission, urged the participants to remain committed to their dreams and aspire for excellence because for Ghana to survive, all her citizens, both young and old, must be at their very best.
“As leaders of tomorrow, Ghana fate in this uncertain world, rest squarely upon your shoulders along with the millions of your colleagues sitting in classrooms around the country.
Do not be discouraged by these challenges (Ghana’s challenges), instead, envision a future in which you take on and defeat this challenges. Be excited about the future when you will have the opportunity to manage this country even better than any of us who have come before you” Barbara Oteng Gyasi stated on behalf of the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
UNFPA Representative
Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Mr Barnaba Yisa, in his remarks read on his behalf indicated that UNFPA is delighted to have been associated with the “Chief Justice Mentoring Programme” the last five years.
Mr Yisa, indicated that the UNFPA, “will continue to facilitate this innovative approach which reaches out poor and vulnerable people, particularly, girls out of school who otherwise, could not have been privileged to be part of the Chief Justice Mentoring Programme”.
Facilitators
As part of the event, Justice Eric Kyei Baffour and Justice Georgina Mensah Datsa, both Justices of the Court of Appeal, Ms Kathleen Addy, Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Yaw Oppong, Director of the Ghana School of Law and Yaw Acheampong Boafo, President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), took turns to address the participating students.
They all recalled the challenges they endured when they were growing up in their bid to climb up the academic ladder. They urged the students at the event not to give attention to the present difficulties they may have but to keep their eyes on the bigger picture and on the price.
Participating Schools
This year’s Chief Justice mentoring programme had 10 participating schools, five each from the Junior high and senior high schools. The Senior High Schools are Adjen Kotoku Senior High School, Kwabenya Senior High School, Frafraha Senior High School, Amasaman Senior High School and Al-Basar Senior High School.
From the junior high schools, Morning Star School, EP Church Junior High School, Achimota Junior High School, Martyrs of Uganda Junior High School and the School for the Blind, Akropong. Other participants were the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), orange girls.
