Peg Presidential age at 35 — PNC

STORY: KWAKU SAKYI-DANSO

The National Youth Organizer of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Atik Mohamed, has called for a change in the age limit to enable Ghanaians who qualify to stand and be elected as president of this country.

He argued that “it is wrong to peg the age limit at 40, and I believe that should be changed to 35 so as to encourage the youth of this country to aspire for highest office of the land”.

He further added that “if we keep saying the leaders of tomorrow are the youth of today then opportunities should be created for them at age 35 to contest for the presidency so that they can participate in the governance of this country”.

“The youth of this country must join me so that we can put this good point across by making a presentation to the current presidential constitutional review committee”, Atik Mohammed submitted.

Regarding the time frame, Atik Mohammed noted that he would not want to propose a time frame, but added that the most important thing was to make sure the age 35 goes before the current constitutional review committee.

The PNC made this observation in an interview with Today during a youth forum organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in Accra recently.
It was on the theme “harnessing the potential of Ghana’s youth for sustainable development”.
It brought together representatives of the political parties and various youth groups in the country.

For his part, the National Youth Organiser of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), James Kwabena Bonfeh Junior, said “the nation cannot progress if we keep paying lip-service to issues that have to with youth development”.

In addition, he recommended for the creation of a national youth movement in the semblance of the Young Pioneer Movement in the 1st Republic of Ghana or the peace corps of America and the Boys Scout of the United Kingdom (UK).