<<Print>>

The General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Dr Mensa Otabil, has challenged the younger generation to make the country better by following the path of honesty and integrity.

He said Ghana wallowed in poverty, in spite of the abundance of resources, because the older generation had disappointed the country by compromising on integrity and trust.

He said there was hope for the future if the younger generation would hold high their values and build integrity into their character as they grew up.

Dr Otabil made the challenge at the 2015 edition of the Springboard, a human development event organised by Legacy and Legacy Consult, in Accra last Saturday.

The event, which attracted hundreds of youth, was on the theme: “Exploration with Integrity”.

“Integrity is critical and Ghana needs integrity. We need it not only from our leaders but from every citizen because that is what builds trust in a nation.

“The effectiveness of every society is based on trust. If we trust one another, we will do a lot,” he added.

“When I was young, I believed Ghana would be great. As I get older, I pray Ghana would be great. I pray so because we keep disappointing ourselves. We have great opportunities and we disappoint ourselves.

“We had gold, we disappointed ourselves; we had cocoa, we disappointed ourselves. We now have oil and we are disappointing ourselves,” he said.

Dr Otabil, however, said hope lay in the hands of young men and women to build a better Ghana in the future.

“Your generation must determine that you will be different, and to be different, you must be different now. You have to determine that ‘I will not bow to pressure; I will not lie; I will not cheat; I will not steal. That must be the decision,” he said.

He observed that when one stole and succeeded, one sabotaged one’s own potential.

“You will never discover whom you are and how great you are,” he said.

According to the General Overseer, integrity was related to character, adding that until the younger generation determined to uphold integrity right from their childhood, the future of the country would remain a prayer and not a reality.

Speaking on the topic: “Speak like a PRO”, the Founder of Legacy and Legacy Consult, Mr Albert Ocran, mentioned confidence, consistency, competence, critical thinking and credibility as some of the commandants of public speaking.

For her part, a Co-founder of the Legacy and Legacy Consult, Mrs Comfort Ocran, urged students to make good use of their long vacations by working to get job history for their curriculum vitae and the experience to make a difference.