The changing face of parliamentary representation; the Habib, Faruk factor

In most parts of Ghana, the disease of unemployment affects young people disproportionately and has the tendency to kill or cause people to cause self-destruction. Africa has the youngest population in the world with more than 400 million young people aged between the ages of 15 to 36 years.

These numbers are those in great confusion and need every support they can get. Unemployment has both individual and social consequences. A good number of academic studies have found that unemployment increases the susceptibility to illness, mental stress, helplessness, and loss of self-esteem leading to depression. For the individual, unemployment can cause psychological distress, which can lead to a decline in life satisfaction.

It can also lead to mood disorders and substance abuse. Unemployment can affect one’s social status ascription as well, which manifests through stigmatization, labelling, unfair judgment, and marginalization.

The northern regions in Ghana have severally been identified and labelled as the weakness link in Ghana’s development chain. It is popularly called the “North” – “South” development gap. We live and suffer the pains of all the politico-socio-economic deteriorations disproportionately.

In this quagmire of suffering and hopelessness, young people are the hardest hit. Much of the communal violence and youth lead conflicts that engulfed the north over the past decades are manifestations of youth unemployment and hopelessness.

Over the years, our parliamentarians (MPs) have been on the run, running away from armies of young people who are searching for jobs. In fact, a job is the hardest thing to find, searching for a job without help is as painful as hell.

The job search processes require a proper “reference” to be linked or supported to get. And how was a graduate from a village or poor home going to find the reference? In most instances, one cannot find or think of anybody capable of helping than one's Member of Parliament (MP).

Yet most of our MPs had failed the youth, decade upon decades. They distance themselves from young people and made claims that their job as MPs is limited to lawmaking. Any other issues were disturbing and can go to hell.

In the down of the 8th Parliament, very important changes are beginning to show. We have seen a clear change in the leadership and support systems that are been advanced and led by two distinguished members of parliament from Dagbon; Hon. Habib Iddrisu and Hon. Umar Farouk Aliu Mahama.

They have connected well with the young people in the north and are helping people to find meaning in their lives through jobs. The number of social media messages that get posted in their honour as having helped one young man or the other is ever loud.

As we move into the future, we hope that more such leaders will emerge from the Northern region. I also wish to congratulate Hon. Habib Iddrisu and Hon. Umar Farouk Aliu Mahama for their wonderful performance.

Long live Dagbon!
Long live Ghana!