SAMUEL OKUDZETO ABLAKWA

He is the youngest minister in the current government. Probably, the youngest in any government. At thirty one, he has served as Ghana’s deputy minister of information for three years. “It's been a great learning experience and a wonderful opportunity to serve my nation."

The young minister is an ambitious one. He is presently preparing to contest in his party’s primaries, hoping to get the nod to represent the ruling NDC for his constituency for parliament in next year’s general elections.

The North Tongu constituency is one of twenty two constituencies in the Volta Region. It has a voter population of close to sixty thousand. The people are mainly farmers and fisher folks. The popular volta river which is the main source of the Akosombo dam runs through the constituency. The Aveyime rice factory and the Juapong textile factory are two major industries in the Constituency which serve Ghana's development well. North Tongu is said to be a "world bank" for the ruling NDC party.

I visited the Constituency with him and watched as he interacted with the people and spoke with his campaign team. His message was simple, he does not need parliament to get visibility to get into government – he is already a serving minister. He wants to get to parliament to be better able to serve by concentrating efforts on the Constituency. He spoke about all the projects he has undertaken in the Constituency in his private capacity such as renovating the Aveyime police station, renovating basic schools across the Constituency, renovating the Juapong clinic, facilating scholarships for hundreds of students, assisting the youth to get jobs, arranging loan schemes for traders and farmers in the Constituency and recently donating two hundred and forty computers to ten basic schools to enhance ICT education in the Constituency. He asked for their mandate to be responsible for their developmental growth.

For Atsu, one of the NDC delegates who would be voting in the January 21st primaries, but for Sammy’s decision to contest in his Constituency, no one knew of them. "He has, just by showing interest in contesting, put us on the map. Now, I hear of us on the radio and in the news papers. For that, he has my vote.”

The issue of experience was topical at the time of his appointment and probably still is. To this, he says “every assignment, every new responsibility brings with it inexperience because we live to take up new challenges and a life worth living is the life that is not scared to take up new challenges. I believe that I'm at my best when under rated, I always prefer to be the under dog.”

When Barrack Obama was contesting for United States presidency, Africans had a hope that his election will mean development for the continent because he is a son of the soil. I did not share this view. For me, there are times when the symbolic role of leadership far outweighs any “developmental agenda” and Obama’s presidency was one such historic moment. He could stay in the White house for four years and not lift a finger and his essence in history would have been achieved. Years of colonialism, exploitation, degradation, the African race’s contribution to the West’s development so unnoticed … for all of these to be acknowledged and celebrated by the appointment of one man – is enough for me.

I have similar sentiments about this man. His being in government, if for nothing at all, for me is symbolic - it is time our generation take our place in the development of our nation.  He does not have the luxury of sitting and doing nothing, we cannot afford it as a nation and certainly, the North Tongu Constituency I visited, looking at the infrastructure, cannot afford it too. Hopefully, youthful energy translates into dynamic leadership.

All the best  …