The Bole District Chief Executive, Mr. Yahaya Yakubu, has called on the youth to channel their energies into productive ventures to enhance Ghana’s development. “As we prepare to vote in December 2008, I call on the youth to keep reflecting on the issues that interest” Ghanaians and try to contribute meaningful and positively building the country, he said. Speaking at a workshop on Good Governance and Development in Bole in the Northern Region, he said youth participation in governance was key to development. He stressed the need for them to respect and promote human rights as the basis of peace and development. The Workshop was organized by the Konrad-Adenuer-Stiftung, KAS, one of the pillars of the German political foundation that seek to promote the ideals of good governance across the globe and the - Tamale Ecclesiastical Province Pastoral Conference (TEPPCON), a social wing of the Catholic Church’s Civic Education Programme in the three Northern regions. It was on the theme: Challenges to Development-the Role of the youth. “You should be mindful of self-seekers and adventurers who will use you to create confusion. Development hinges on peace and therefore the youth must focus on issues of peace”, he said. The DCE contended that consolidation of democracy was by enhancing civic participation in democratic processes and challenged the youth who are the emerging leaders to be concerned about leadership and governance. Mr. Isaac Owusu-Mensah, Senior Programme Manager, KAS said good governance and development at the local level was very relevant, especially in the North where development was lagging behind. According to the KAS Senior Programme Manager the partnership with TEPPCON was special relationship, in the sense that TEPPCON works with the local and community based organizations to facilitate socio-economic development. He was of the view that human beings had limited control on man-made disaster but said man-made challenges such as conflicts and associated drawbacks were issues that the youth must fight against, adding that, they should not allow politicians to use them for their selfish interests. “You are the leaders of today and the future; do not allow political leaders to take advantage of your vulnerabilities”, he said. Ms. Agnes Gandaa, Coordinator, TEPPCON said conflicts in the area were not only caused by chieftaincy issues and that of land but that of political misunderstanding and charged the youth to be wary of selfish politicians especially in an election year and vote accordingly and eschew electoral malpractices. She condemned the open involvement of chiefs and religious leaders in partisan politics saying, it was dividing their people and affecting the faith of civil society. Source: GNA