NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama
When JM talks about improving the haphazardly-implemented Free SHS policy by Nana Akufo-Addo, he meant business and he has great records in delivering the much-needed infrastructure affecting our secondary school education.
Successive NDC governments have track records of improving national policies and programmes for the betterment of Ghanaians. I will just highlight a few examples to illustrate my argument.
For example, the NPP implemented district-based mutual health insurance after it was piloted by Jerry Rawlings-led NDC government in the late 90s.
The Prof Mills-Mahama led NDC came to power and made it a national health insurance programme, where it became possible to access health care anywhere in Ghana with a valid NHIS card, regardless where you registered unto the NHIS, one was entitled to health service.
Between 2003 and 2008, NHIS subscribers could not access NHIS services outside the District in which one had registered and received his or her card. It was just a district-based Mutual Health Insurance scheme. It was under Mills-Mahama government it was improved by way of health facilities and increased coverage. It became truly national health insurance where you can access NHIS services in any accredited health facility anywhere in Ghana.
The reforms introduced by the Mills-Mahama administration are what moved the NHIS into an authority NHIA, and kept the scheme going till date.
Again in 2009 precisely January 6, a day to handing over to a new NDC government, President John Agyekum Kufuor announced the single-spine salary pay policy of a 34% increase in workers' salaries in the public sector without any financial and implementation arrangements whatsoever in place.
It took the courageous Mills-Mahama government to find the necessary resources to successfully implement the single spine salary structure which Ghanaian public sector workers enjoy today.
When NYEP/GYEEDA and YEA was launched, it had no legislative backing from 2006 to 2008. Again, it took the previous NDC government under Mahama-Amissah-Arthur to fine-tune the policy with appropriate legislation. Today YEA runs smoothly without the problems NPP left it in 2008.
So when Mahama and NDC say they will IMPROVE FREE SHS EDUCATION in Ghana, you have concrete evidence in the past to believe Mahama and NDC and vote massively for the John & Jane ticket.
The reasons include:
1) Mahama introduced PROGRESSIVE FREE SHS EDUCATION IN GHANA,
2) To ensure every student had access to quality free SHS, he launched 200 community Day SHS construction across the country. This would have helped prevent double track under Akufo-Addo if the 200 SHS schools were continued and continued by this government that is running a confusing and ineffective double-track system of education.
So dear voter, don’t be deceived by Akufo Addo. Vote for John Mahama to come and continue the Free SHS he started and was about to expand it. Vote for NDC, so Ghanaians can get a proper Free SHS system that is quality and effective. Vote for John Mahama and Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang.
