Joy FM’s Super Morning Show (SMS) on Thursday shifted from the usual political banter and its adult panelists. It rather featured children below 13 years who shared their views on a number of issues that are most often discussed without their involvement. They took their time and turn to deliberate on national issues such as education, health, corruption, sex and marriage, love, religion and culture, agriculture, and sports among other interesting topics. Yehoada, Adytia and Ewurasi, all in basic school, took issues with politicians and how some of their actions and inaction have affected the general public - children in particular. The children, therefore, asked the elderly in society, especially politicians, to spare the public with their divisive political actions when they appear on radio and television stations, and rather focus on development issues, which children could also learn something positive from. “Politicians should put aside politics and their parochial interests on air and focus more on education, health, security, and other issues that can help Ghana to progress,” 13-year old Yehoada requested. Throwing their political sentiment on air does not augur well for Ghana’s fragile democracy, which morally “I think it is not too good …they don’t set good examples” to those listening to them, he said. Touching on the Bawku unrest, Yehoada condemned the raging conflict and pleaded with the feuding factions to smoke the peace pipe to bring peace and development to the area. “It is not good that they are fighting, because if the adults are fighting and killing themselves then what are the children supposed to do, the adults cannot tell the children to stop being naughty and all those things. “And the conflict is causing the country a lot because they have to send police personnel to keep the place in check. I think they should stop it and it will do the country a lot of good,” Yehoada pleaded. Ewurasi and Adytia, both 11, agreed with the concerns raised by their colleague. According to Ewurasi, she felt stunned and disappointed by the carnage in Bawku and pleaded with the government to help solve the problem there. “My mother told me about the conflict and curfew in Bawku and I was shocked and disappointed… I want the government to go there and talk to the people of Bawku so that the conflict would stop there.” Adytia, even though had very little idea about the conflict in Bawku, did not hide his emotions; “I just heard about it from my colleagues and I feel bad”. He called on the government to tackle Ghana’s economy and unemployment. The children also called on stakeholders in education to stop toying with children's future by coming together to design a holistic programme for the education sector to avoid the back-and-forth in the duration for the SHS programme. They thought students are being treated unfairly with the tossing up of the duration depending on the political party in power. Story by Isaac Essel Myjoyonline.com/Ghana