40 youth receive driving licences as Tarkwa MP turns humble beginnings into highway ahead

The occasion was the first graduation of the Youth in Driving Initiative, an ambitious programme introduced by the Member of Parliament for Tarkwa Nsuaem, Issah Salifu Taylor. The first batch of 40 beneficiaries — 27 men and 13 women had just completed three months of rigorous training at Agyawus Driving School. They sat with their licences in hand, some still marvelling at their own transformation.

But before the applause, before the group photographs, the MP asked them to look backward.

"I've been saying it wherever I go: we should be humble and remember where we are coming from," Mr. Taylor told the gathering. "I wasn't a member of parliament even three years ago. I was working somewhere. But the most important thing is to respect where we are now."

He spoke of his own humble beginnings. "Some of us started from nothing. Where we are now, we owe it all to God with a grateful heart. No one should forget their background."

The room, filled with young men and women who had just learned to command a vehicle on busy highways and narrow town streets, listened in silence.

"We are 40 people," the MP continued, "so it means we need to get cars for all of you. After paying for the car that will be given to you at the end of the training, it will become your property. I know that soon, some of these youths will be transport owners."

'True love comes from actions'

Mr. Taylor, who succeeded former MP George Mireku Duker, made it clear that his philosophy of leadership rests not on words but on visible deeds.

"True love doesn't come from sweet words," he said. "True love comes from actions. It comes from the way you are going to treat the constituents. I am prepared to treat this constituency well, to especially help the youth."

He acknowledged the work of his predecessor. "My predecessor helped the youth in Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency, and in my tenure, I will continue from there and do my best."

The MP also sought to lower the temperature of local politics. "I will not stand anywhere and condemn the former member of parliament," he said. "When I err as an MP, do say it. When I do something good, commend me. We have to stop propaganda."

He warned that the people of Tarkwa Nsuaem are watching closely. "After elections, you don't campaign — you act positively. The people have opened their eyes wide to monitor us. When we make a mistake, we will not be forgiven. Myself, the chairman, and the MCE will not lie or make mistakes."

'Not the only project we are doing'

The Youth in Driving Initiative, Mr. Taylor explained, is not a government programme. "These resources are not coming from government. When you lead and want to serve, it is service to God. God will reward you because He knows you are using your money to help people."

He drew a line from the present to Ghana's founding vision. "That is why the first president of Ghana built technical institutions. When you complete, you have a skill and can go to work. We have youths in Tarkwa Nsuaem who are very intelligent and prepared to work. Unfortunately, there are no jobs. I think the Youth in Driving that I introduced is working."

Behind the wheel: three months of transformation

The man who turned these young people into drivers was Isaac Owusu, CEO of Agyawus Driving School in Tarkwa. He described a methodical process that began in December and ended in February.