The Youth Who Died Were Not NDC. They Were Not NPP. They Were Africans from Ghana.

By Professor Douglas Boateng

Chartered Director&Engineer | Industrialisation Advocate | Governance Strategist|

            1.         They queued in hope. Some returned on stretchers. Others, tragically, did not return at all. These young men and women were not seeking favours or causing disruption. They simply desired an opportunity to serve their country, to contribute meaningfully, and to belong.

            2.         This moment must not be interpreted through the narrow lens of partisanship. It is not about the NDC or the NPP. It is about national responsibility and the shared future of our youth. To frame it as a political issue is to minimise its gravity. This is a generational failure, and more importantly, a national tragedy.

            3.         Yes, the current NDC administration inherited decades of structural and economic challenges. Yes, President Mahama and his team are making visible efforts to address them. But the inconvenient truth remains: they cannot do it alone. The Ghanaian youth are not political delegates or policy appendices. They are our sons and daughters, brimming with potential and integral to Africa’s long-term future. When they die in search of employment, the burden of responsibility does not rest on government alone. It falls on all of us.

            4.         This tragedy should leave a permanent mark on our national conscience. It cannot become just another forgotten statistic in a quarterly report.

            5.         “When the youth die in the queue for jobs, it is not just the system that is broken. It is the soul of the nation that is bleeding.”

This is not a time for blame. It is a time for sober reflection and collective action. From public institutions to private enterprises, from the pulpit to the press, we all have a role to play in reshaping the future.

            6.         President Mahama cannot do it alone. The NDC cannot do it alone. And they should not be expected to carry this burden in isolation.

            7.         The time has come for all of us, regardless of political affiliation, to unite,not for applause but for purpose. So that no African or Ghanaian youth will ever again lose their life while chasing dignity.

Today it may not be your child, but tomorrow it could be your grandchild or great-grandchild.