Former Acting Central Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Kofi Matthew, has warned members of the Tertiary Education Institutions Network of the University of Cape Coast (TEIN-UCC) against allowing their gifts to be exploited for other people's personal battles.
He spoke at the 30th anniversary celebration of TEIN-UCC on Saturday, June 14, 2026. His message was titled “Your Glory, Their Weapon – Stay Vigilant.”
Matthew drew from the biblical story in Matthew 14. King Herod was so impressed by the daughter of Herodias' dancing that he offered her anything she wanted. But her mother told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist. The young woman's moment of glory became a weapon for someone else's agenda.
“Her gift became a weapon. Her moment of glory was redirected to serve another person’s agenda,” Matthew told the gathering. “That's the danger many young people face today, especially those with great potential.”
He warned that intelligence, popularity, organisational strength, communication skills, and youthful energy are powerful assets. Without care, they can be hijacked by individuals pursuing parochial interests.
“Your brilliance, your influence, your voice, your numbers — these are blessings. But if you aren't careful, others will use them to fight wars that have nothing to do with you,” he cautioned.
Matthew gave practical examples familiar to students. A talented speaker might be encouraged to publicly attack another party member — not because it helps the party, but because a senior person is nursing a personal grudge. A socially influential student leader might be persuaded to mobilise colleagues against another activist without understanding the full picture. In the process, relationships are damaged, reputations are tarnished, and the student bears the consequences for battles that were never theirs.
He also pointed out that some students are recruited into campus factions or even mainstream party factions under the guise of loyalty. Later they discover they were pawns in power struggles driven by other people's ambitions, not the collective interest of the party or their own destiny.
“There are instances where some of you are cajoled to campaign for certain candidates against candidates you know so well are more competent and more deserving — just because those you support work in this university or are your course mates,” Matthew said.
Another example: gifted students use their social media influence to spread unverified allegations or attack fellow comrades, sometimes senior ones, simply because a trusted mentor or associate asked them to. Such actions may give temporary satisfaction to others while leaving lasting damage to the student's own credibility and future prospects.
Matthew urged TEIN-UCC members to be discerning about how, where, and for whom they deploy their gifts. He said their moment of glory should shape their own destiny, not become a weapon in someone else's war.