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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is questioning the credibility of the presidential candidate of the Democratic National Congress (NDC) to fulfill his campaign promises.
The party says that John Mahama’s numerous campaign promises are simply a sham to strip Ghanaians of their resources if they are given power.
At a press conference called ‘The Youth Must Know Series’ held in Abomosu in the eastern region’s Atewa West district, PNP’s eastern youth organizer Jerry Osei-Poku said that the return of Mahama to power he will offer the opportunity to continue looting the state.
He said: “If the incompetent Mahama was unable to pay the northern schools feeding subsidies, so that the schools had to close for weeks at the beginning of each term, how can he pay 50% of the student fees of tertiary education?”
According to him, John Mahama in his first term as president described himself as a “dead goat” at a time when citizens complained about the economic difficulties and hardships that caused certain decisions that he made.
Mr. Osei-Poku stated that Mr. Mahama during his time in office mortgaged Ghana’s natural resources to his brother and cronies, handed out inflated contracts to his assignees while teachers, nurses and other public officials wallowed in difficulties.
In his speech, Osei-Poku compared the two sides’ track records in education, noting that available data indicates that Mahama’s performance in education between 2013 and 2016 pales in comparison to President Akufo-Addo’s high and enviable track record. between the years 2017 to 2019 in the same sector.
Former President Mahama and the NDC have in recent times made promises to make TVET free, pay 50% tuition for tertiary education students, and a number of delightful promises.
New upper secondary schools, TVET centers under construction
Contrary to claims that the NPP has not built or established a single school, the NPP has listed seven new SHS that are currently being built under the administration of President Akufo-Addo.
Schools are reported to have facilities such as administration blocks, dormitory blocks, dining rooms, assembly halls, laboratories, creative arts / science blocks, staff housing, recreational facilities, roads and outside works, service shed and maintenance, among others.
One such school is located in Abomosu in the Atewa West district of the eastern region.
The remainder and two additional schools that are being upgraded to become model schools are ongoing in Kwadaso, Dabaa, Akrodie, Koaso in Wenchi, Diaso in the central Weija region in Ga South, Kpasenkpe in the West Mamprusi district and Awaso in Tarkwa Nsuem.
“Young colleagues, the government is also building 21 sophisticated Centers of Excellence in Vocational Technical Education (TVET) throughout the country. One of the TVET centers is located in Anyinam, in the eastern Atewa district of the eastern region, ”said Jerry Osei-Poku.
He added that the NDC could not boast of having built such a center with eight years in government.
Hiring in the education sector
The NPP says that between January 2017 and December 2019, the government employed a total of 66,357 teaching and non-teaching staff at the pre-tertiary level.
According to them, financial authorization has been obtained to hire 27,367 additional teaching and non-teaching staff, comprising 16,500 newly qualified teachers, 6,500 graduate teachers, 3,232 replacement staff and 1,135 non-teaching staff.
Jerry added that the aforementioned data adds up to a staggering 93,724 jobs at the end of this year for the pre-tertiary level, while employment at the tertiary level stands at around 6,176 since 2017.
“Building on our fulfilled 2016 manifesto promise to accelerate job creation, the NPP in our 2020 manifesto has solemnly pledged to create more jobs for Ghana’s abundant youth. No qualified and trained teacher will be out of work in our second term as we have in our first term, ”he assured.
Inherited debt
Regarding the education sector, Mr. Osei-Poku stated that during the first term of the Akufo-Addo governments, all arrears and outstanding invoices inherited from the NDC have been cleared.
“In the education sector, we meet huge outstanding bills for key supplies for the provision of educational services. There were pending bills of approximately ¢ 31 million in the chaotic policy of Progressively Free SHS, ¢ 9 million in Capitation Subsidy, ¢ 4 million in Food Subsidies for special schools, ¢ 14 million in exercise books for basic schools and ¢ 4 million in supply. of school uniforms, among others, ”said Osei-Poku.
He added that there has also been a timely release of capitation and feeding grants for special schools.
According to the ‘Young People Should Know Series’, President Akufo-Addo has instituted academic interventions and motivational packages for teachers in less than 4 years, instituted professional assignments for teachers, abolished the 3-month salary arrears policy of Mahama and eliminating 91% of the inherited arrears that emanates from it.
They added that the President has developed a system that ensures the timely payment of the salaries of newly hired teachers, restored the subsidy for books and research and increased it by 200%, established a new GES promotion process that is more efficient and effective than has led to the promotion of 18,475 teachers in the first semester of 2020 among others.
Jerry Osei-Poku said that the youth in the Eastern Region with the support of the party leadership are ready to secure one million votes for President Akufo-Addo in the December elections to do more for Ghana.
