By Tinkaro Asare, former NUGS President for University of Ghana.
I have monitored proceedings with respect to the upcoming 2016 general elections in Ghana.
I have spoken with different groups of people especially the youth who feel disgruntled with issues of interest in this country.
There are a majority of people who are not involved in political issues but who take delight in discussing political matters and how such discussions can cause a change in government policy for the best in this country.
Its very inspiring to see passionate youth pay much attention to governance issues.
It gives us much hope that we have young folks who have the desire to make things right in this country even though our country seems to be moving towards the wrong direction under our current government led by President John Dramani Mahama.
According to Herbert Hoover, “Blessed are the youth for they shall inherit the national debt.”
In simple terms, let us be ready to pay the cost and debt of bad policies under our current President.
Many have the urge to change the face of governance in this country.
There are people who are of the belief that things will be better in the future to come and a time will come that they can have full trust in the government of this country.
Getting yourself involved in the governance of your country is an individual right that must be well expressed and voting during an election must be well exercised with moral and civic responsibility as a citizen of a State.
There is a huge fraction of our youth who have lost interest in deciding who leads them and how their policy of governance should be directed.
There are others who have no interest in getting themselves involved in the political decisions of their country which directly and indirectly involves voting during elections and most importantly making the world know their point of view during any key decision of government for the larger populace.
There are several people who are of the conviction that their vote makes no difference in deciding who leads them.
They feel their single vote makes no impact and a single vote from them will have no bearing to decide who leads in any elections but the question l ask is simple;
If each person believes that his/ her single vote will have no impact in the general outcome and decides not to vote during election days, will there be a single vote in the ballot box to declare someone a winner of any elections?
Your guess is as good as mine.
A key reason why people fail to Vote during an elections is not just because they feel their vote will have no impact but simply because of the lack of confidence in the people they have reposed confidence in, largely because of previous bad governance and policies from people who should have acted positively and in utmost good faith but did otherwise.
But in deciding to vote outrightly, what should be your focus and what should be the measure to make your Vote count?
I guess this is a general question that many would ask especially new voters who are desperate to be part of decision making processes in this country.
Voting alone is not a measure of influencing a decision but essentially voting rightly.
Being influenced to Vote as a result of things that are given out during the electioneering period cannot be equalled to any proper sense of voting.
Proper voting in my view is taking these items from the particular person or politician who wants to buy your Vote and yet still voting on a clear conscience because you are of the conviction that such act is virtuous.
There are several people who fear to vote against people who give out money to buy their votes since they are of the view that they have already given their words.
I must say it would be politically and morally wrong to think that taking money from a politician and voting with your conscience but not at the dictate of the politician’s whims and caprices is a sin and morally wrong.
Regrettably, I must say people are victims of such thinking but my advice to the youth is that take the money and still vote with your conscience and nothing will happen to you because its your own money that is being given out.
Lastly don’t think of not voting because having the desire not to Vote will lead to continuous suffering in our part of the world.
People will wrongly go and elect leaders for us and we will all generally pay the worse consequences for it.
Join a queue and vote well and make sure your vote counts!
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