NDC will never come back to power till 2032 - Henry Kokofu

Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama constituency in the Ashanti Region, Henry Kwabena Kokofu says if the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will ever come back to power, it will be in the year 2032.

Hon. Kwabena Kokofu was optimistic that the Akufo-Addo government will, without doubt, be given a second term in government.

He was commenting on the NDC 2020 manifesto.

Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', the former Bantama MP made reference to a promise made by the Presidential candidate of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama and his Running Mate, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang that they will ensure the free SHS policy of the incumbent government is upgraded to cover private schools in deprived communities, should they be re-elected during the December 7 polls.

"The next NDC Government will make the Free Senior High School Programme better by ensuring that its numerous challenges are addressed, and higher standards introduced, expand the Free SHS programme to cover students in private Senior High Schools in underserved/deprived areas, abolish the double-track system, complete abandoned structures for secondary and technical education including abandoned E-Blocks to cater for current students and expected increase in admissions, strengthen and sustain private participation in the delivery of secondary education," the manifesto read.

But to Mr Kokofu, the NDC promise to fortify the free SHS programme is an admission that President Nana Akufo-Addo's education policy is the best.

However, he doesn't believe the NDC has the programme at heart and that all they wished for is to have the votes of Ghanaians and afterwards, ruin the free education policy.

According to him, the NDC's position on the free SHS changed when they hired a research organization to conduct a survey on the six newly-created Regions for them and the findings showed that the Regions were very pleased with the President's free SHS policy, adding all the six Regions pledged to vote for the Akufo-Addo government.

He said it is since then that the NDC's strategy has been to support the free SHS but not that they have confidence in the free SHS.

Henry Kwabena Kokofu further stated that the opposition party has never been interested in the wellbeing of the deprived population and that they are hiding behind the free SHS only for votes.

He called on the former President and NDC Presidential candidate, John Mahama to hope for 2032 when he has indeed learned his lessons and would like to do the right thing.

"If the free SHS needs an upgrade, we don't have to let you who has no faith in it to do it. It is on record that the NDC doesn't like anything that will help the underprivileged people. The NDC said they don't want the capitation grant and school feeding programme. They should remain in opposition till President Akufo-Addo and the NPP are done with developing the country and we have confidence that the NDC will not come and ruin the good works, then we can consider allowing them to come back to power, and that will be in 2032."