Deputy Registrar of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA), Prof Vida Nyagre Yakong, has challenged Ghanaian youth to make personal integrity a defining part of their identity, warning that shortcuts and fraud can destroy their futures.
She said young people must treat integrity as a form of personal wealth, particularly at a time when shortcuts and fraudulent practices are increasingly becoming attractive to some people.
“In an era of shortcuts and fraud, your integrity is your wealth,” Prof Yakong told young people at the Tamale Youth Summit.
She was delivering the keynote address at the GNAT Hall in Tamale on Saturday, September 5, 2026, under the theme “Breaking Limits: Empowering Youth for Leadership, Innovation and Impact.”
Prof Yakong, who has a background in nursing, public health research and academia, linked the importance of personal integrity to the standards required in her current role at HeFRA.
“At HeFRA we say — without standards, lives are lost. Without personal standards, futures are lost,” she said.
She urged the youth to understand that integrity should not be treated merely as an abstract moral principle, but as a standard that should guide their personal, professional and leadership decisions.
Her warning formed part of seven key messages she delivered to the young participants, covering education, resilience, integrity, service, peace, authenticity and responsible political participation.
Prof Yakong also urged the youth to choose service over applause and measure their success by the number of people they help rather than what they accumulate for themselves.
She encouraged them to volunteer, mentor younger people and help vulnerable members of their communities.
“True greatness is measured by how many helpless people you lift,” she said.
According to her, wealth should also be understood in terms of the lives touched, smiles created among vulnerable people and opportunities shared with others in need.
Prof Yakong’s call for integrity came as part of a broader appeal to young people to develop the character required to become responsible leaders and contributors to society.
She urged them to combine education and professional advancement with resilience, integrity, service and authenticity as they seek to break barriers and create opportunities.
The Tamale Youth Summit was organised by the Dream Big Foundation to empower young people for leadership, innovation and impact.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
