A special session of the Northern Youth Parliament was held to address issues surrounding road safety in the Tamale Metropolis, as well as how the youth and other stakeholders would help to ensure sanity and dignity on the roads.
The session, held in Tamale under the auspices of the National Youth Authority (NYA), saw the Majority and Minority sides of the House debate the city’s road safety situation and propose ways to restore sanity in order to protect lives and property.
Some motorcyclists and tricycle riders in the area violate traffic laws, putting their lives and the lives of pedestrians in danger.
As a result, the roads have been some of the worst in the country in terms of traffic accidents, resulting in fatalities and injuries.
When any of the road traffic criminals were convicted, their parents or other prominent members of the community intervened to ensure they were not punished.
Mr Mumuni Sulemana, the NYA’s Northern Regional Director, expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation, citing the need for a special meeting to consider solutions.
“I was assigned to lead the Northern, North East, and Savannah regions a month ago. In the Metropolis, I’ve seen an utter disregard for traffic regulations. He said, “We need to change people’s mindsets.”
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“I believe they can do a lot to bring that change with Youth Parliament as an advocacy platform.”
Mr Sulemana emphasized the importance of working with key stakeholders to find a solution to the issue.
“The aim of this debate is to engage the youth so that they can become advocates for the message and try to engage whoever cares even inside themselves, their families, and friends, so that when they reform themselves, their families, and friends, we can be sure of complete societal change,” he said.
The Northern Youth Parliament’s Majority Leader, Mr Sule Saha Abdulai, said his side of the House will form a reform group and visit markets and streets to inform people about road traffic regulations.
Mr. Umar Abdul Shakur, the Minority Leader, said that they will launch media campaigns to educate the youth about the importance of adhering to traffic safety regulations in order to maintain discipline.
The Northern Youth Parliament, which is part of the NYA, acts similarly to a national parliament, with youth from around the region meeting to address pressing issues and bring them to the attention of duty-bearers for potential solutions.
SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE
