Press Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 08 November, 2017

REJOINDER - You deal with YES at your own risk NYA urges youth groups
1. The Youth Empowerment Synergy (YES-Ghana) notes with discontent a press statement attributed
to the National Youth Authority (NYA) on the above subject, which was reported by the news media
over the last two days. YES-Ghana finds the contents of that press statement, as reported by the
media, to be misleading, damaging, and completely unwarranted.

2. For the avoidance of any doubts, neither the Ghana Youth Directory nor other wide-ranging youth
development programmes of YES-Ghana amount to a violation of any laws of Ghana as claimed by
the NYA.

3. The Ghana Youth Directory, available at www.ghanayouthdirectory.org, is an open source, youth-

led, civil society effort that seeks to create an information hub for youth groups, associations and
organisations towards effective collaboration and exchange of information among actors in the same
field. This is in response to the knowledge gap that existed for many years about youth-led actors,
which undermined the importance of networking and collaboration within the youth development
space.

4. For the records, the Ghana Youth Directory was originally launched back in 2013 as part of the Voices
of Youth project implemented by YES-Ghana. The NYA was an active member of the Advisory
Committee that guided the development and successful launch of the Ghana Youth Directory. Over
the last few months, the Directory received a complete makeover, thanks to the financial support of
the Commonwealth Foundation. The advertisements that have appeared in the Daily Graphic
constitute a renewed effort to get more youth groups to enlist and showcase their work on the
Directory.

5. Considering the open and fruitful relationship that has existed between YES-Ghana and the NYA, it is
difficult to ascertain exactly what motivated the NYA to issue such a disparaging public statement
without first contacting YES-Ghana to seek clarifications. For more than fifteen years, YES-Ghana
has collaborated with the NYA to successfully implement many projects. The NYA is usually
represented at major events organised by YES-Ghana. In fact, the most recent NYA representation at
a YES-Ghana event was just two weeks ago, on 26 October 2017, when CEO Emmanuel Asigri
delegated one of his deputies to deliver a statement during the Awards Ceremony of YES-Ghanas
SDG Youth Essay Competition, held at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra.

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6. YES-Ghana has requested a meeting with the CEO of the NYA to try to understand what went wrong
and to clarify any issues and/or concerns that the NYA may have about the Ghana Youth Directory in
particular, and the work of YES-Ghana in general. From what we are hearing from people within the
NYA, it seems that there was a mix-up. Considering the rush to release the press statement just hours
after YES-Ghanas advertisement appeared in the newspaper, it is obvious that the NYA was unable
to undertake the required verifications, which would have most likely led it to a different outcome.
YES-Ghana is postured to settle this matter quickly in order not to impede the shared effort of
empowering the Ghanaian youth for contributing to and benefitting from the nations
development.

7. YES-Ghana remains grateful to the many young people whose participation and active citizenship has
consolidated the organisations position at the forefront of youth development policy, practice and
research in Ghana. Accredited by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and
recognised widely for its consistency in creating opportunities for youth across various programme
areas, the organisation remains committed to working with all stakeholders in the youth
development space towards a more youth-inclusive Ghanaian society.

#LeaveNoYouthBehind

***

Enquiries:

Obaa Akua Konadu

Policy & Advocacy Manager
Email: o.konadu@yesghana.org
Mobile: 020 496 8353
Website: www.yesghana.org

Youth Empowerment Synergy

No. 16 Prince of Peace School Link
Off UPSA-ATRACO Road
East Legon, Accra
Telephone: 030 251 0000

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