General News of 2012-09-21

NPP's Free Education Is Achievable - I. K Gyasi

Retired educationist, I.K Gyasi, has thrown his weight behind Nana Akufo-Addo's free education policy calling it a visionary idea which holds the key to the transformation of the Ghanaian society. Recounting his personal experiences, he reminisced about his childhood days and how he a poor farmer's son from Brofoyedu managed to find himself in the Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana.

He was speaking at a stakeholders' educational forum held in Kumasi on Wednesday, September 19, 2012. The forum brought together several representatives from stakeholder groups in the Ashanti Region including GNAT, NAGRAT, Parent-Teacher Associations and a host of other groups and personalities.

Opening the forum Prof. Gyan Baffour, explained the free, accessible, quality senior high school policy proposed by the NPP and its flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. He provided cost and funding details. He denounced the Minister of Education, Mr. Lee Ocran for his assertion that the government currently spends 9.1 percent of GDP on education.

Hon. Frema Opare Osei, MP for Ayawaso West revealed how the policy when implemented would ease the financial burden on parents, thereby increasing their disposal income, enabling them spend on other necessities of life. She stated how as a 'mother' of many in her constituency she has seen how the cost of education has prevented several otherwise qualified and brilliant young people from furthering and in some cases completing their schooling.

Mr. Kwame Adum-Atta, another retired educationist asked Ghanaians to embrace it since it is an achievable policy.

Touching on the propaganda being thrown about by the NDC Yaw Buaben Asamoah, Deputy Director of Communications for the NPP asked the NDC to come up with policy alternatives rather. He admonished the NDC that as a government in power their mandate is to solve problems confronting the nation.

Hon. Balado Manu, MP for Ahafo-Ano South said that the actions of the NDC are in line with their traditions small mindedness and refusal to think out of the box. He said if the NDC were around at the time Neil Armstrong went to the moon they would have said it was impossible just as they said the National Health Insurance Scheme was not viable, free maternal healthcare was impossible, that capitation was a pipe-dream and claimed Ghana's oil was palm kernel oil.

The program was aired on several radio platforms across the country including Anigye 102,5 fm, Angel Fm, Kessben fm, Happy Fm, Oman Fm, Adehye Fm and OTEC Fm.