Former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Awentami Paul Afoko, has called on Ghanaian youth to rise with civic courage and defend the nation’s democracy, warning that freedom and justice will only survive if citizens boldly stand up for them.
Afoko delivered the call during a public lecture at the African University of Communication and Business (AUCB) on Friday, November 21, 2025.
The lecture, themed “Civic Courage: Speaking Up, Standing Out, and Making a National Impact,” brought together students, academics, and civil society actors.
Addressing participants, Afoko stressed that Ghana has reached a defining moment in its democratic evolution, one that demands courage rather than complacency.
“Democracy doesn’t sustain itself. It’s protected daily by courageous voices willing to speak, question, challenge, and uphold integrity,” he declared.
He insisted that the country’s constitutional ideals depend heavily on citizens—especially young people finding the boldness to defend them.
Quoting literary icon Ama Ata Aidoo, he reminded students that “true courage is not the absence of fear but the presence of conviction.”
The former NPP Chairman recounted a personal story illustrating the steep price of principled dissent.
Following the 31st December 1981 coup d’état, Afoko publicly questioned the motives of the coup makers and demanded the restoration of constitutional rule under President Hilla Limann.
“That single act of speaking up led to my arrest and detention without trial,” he said.
He eventually escaped detention and remained in exile for nearly two decades—an experience he cited as proof that courage is costly, yet silence is even costlier.
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Afoko warned that Ghana cannot develop if its citizens abandoned their values to fit in.
“Ghana will not be transformed by people who fold their principles to fit in,” he cautioned, lamenting the normalisation of corruption, the acceptance of mediocrity, and the growing perception that truth is dangerous.
He argued that national impact does not require political office: “Impact is shaped by courage, not titles.”
“Democracy survives not because a few leaders are courageous but because millions refuse to surrender their responsibility,” he concluded.
A key highlight of the event was the unusually blunt contribution from Professor Isaac Abeku Blankson, Vice Chancellor of the African University College of Communications (AUCC), who expressed deep frustration with what he described as the political immaturity of tertiary students.
Prof Blankson revealed that students frequently petition him for permission to hold political activities on campus requests he consistently rejects.
“You have not demonstrated maturity. You would rather fight on political grounds than sit together and think about what is good for our nation,” he said.
He recounted past incidents of violent student elections, stating that ballot boxes once had to be stationed under supervision due to chaos.
Drawing on his experiences abroad, he lamented the lack of accountability in Ghana’s political culture and questioned why the nation remains poor despite its potential.
The SRC President, Richard Okyere, said the lecture had left students inspired to uphold ethical leadership.
“We have learned to stand up for what is right even when it is difficult. We have been taught to develop an informed voice, build credibility through consistency, and understand that impact comes from intentional action,” he stated.
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