Nana Addo's Free SHS Policy is Divine

Belief and anticipation for a better Ghana should not be based on blind faith or Propaganda; rather, it should be based on knowledge, reflection, and understanding of our present quality level of human resource and how to enhance it.

Many Ghanaians are flabbergasted by the fact that the obligation to redefine and transform our current educational policy is not a priority for the ruling government but rather seen by them as a mere desire.

The redefinition of Free Basic Education policy to include Senior High Schools (SHS) in Ghana, as espoused by the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is a divine inspiration the quality implementation of which no party or individual can prevent.

No right thinking Ghanaian disputes the fact that the policy, when implemented by the NPP, would become a benediction in yielding socio-economic benefits to enrich human resource capacity in national development.

The current population of Junior Secondary School (JSS) leavers who mainly due to financial reasons did not enjoy the right to enroll into senior secondary school on a free admission, free tuition, free text books, free boarding and feeding policy are unattractive to the skilled labour market and have indeed become a national liability.

A free SHS policy is by no means the only giant choice opted to address Ghana's present unemployment crisis which fact no doubt retards our progress as a country. The perspicacity needed by our future leaders to make judicious application of revenues from our natural resources will only be attained through a certain level of quality education.

It is therefore the responsibility of government to deliver long term quality basic education policy for our youth. Sadly a high percentage of JSS leavers do not proceed to SHS because their parents cannot afford to pay any form of education fees in senior high school. I am convinced that even at a SHS cut-off level, SHS leavers can still gain the gravitas that will enable them formulate sound informed decisions with respect to work delivery and socio-economic life.

In the recent Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) presidential debate, I observed that H.E. John Dramani Mahama in his confused state of mind thought to a certain extent that Nana Addo was confused as well. Lord have mercy! Initially, President Mahama and his ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) asked Ghanaians to believe that free a SHS policy as advocated by Nana Akufo-Addo, is not possible to implement.

Subsequently, he professes at various campaign platforms including the one at the IEA, that the Free SHS policy is not a creation of Nana Akufo-Addo, but a constitutional provision in the 1992 constitution.

The President of Ghana and the NDC again envisages the future implementation of a free SHS as provided in the 1992 constitution to be between four and twenty years from now. Quite intriguing! What the confused President Mahama does not know is that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has never claimed to be the originator of free basic education.

Nana Addo is simply inspired by what he heard during his countrywide “listening tour” and divine, to redefine free basic education to include senior high school, and wants its implementation to be NOW! As to whether a Nana Addo-NPP government can implement this redefined quality education policy or not, should be left for the Ghanaian electorate to decide.

I believe with this divine inspiration from Allah, his vision can be implemented successfully. It is gratifying to know that just as it is believed that great prophets and disciples were inspired by God to write various scriptures, the free SHS policy is a divine inspiration by God given to the NPP's flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Unfortunately, for the NDC, the redefinition and implementation of Free Basic Education policy to include Senior High School Now! as captured in the NPP's 2012 manifesto, has been embraced by parents, their children and most of the electorate. The NPP's Education, Health and Industrial policies have ruffled the NDC and consequently confused their leader, President Dramani Mahama.

In his confused mind President Mahama further argues that it is a violation of the 1992 Constitution to redefine article 25 (Free Basic Educational policy). He fails to understand that such a significant constitutional provision only calls for great minds like Nana Akufo Addo's, to ensure Ghanaians enjoy the implementation of provision in a more redefined status today, and not in 2016 or twenty years from now! Article 25 (1)(a) basic education shall be free, compulsory and available to all; (b) secondary education in its different forms, including technical and vocational education, shall be made generally available and accessible to all by every appropriate means, and in particular, by the progressive introduction of free education. There has been a clear distinction drawn between basic and secondary education.

Does President Mahama/NDC think twenty years after coming into effect of the 1992 constitution not progressive enough into the future? When will the future then be? Nana Akufo Addo and the NPP must be given the opportunity at the 7th December 2012 elections, by the electorate to lead Ghana in their quest to continue the transformational agenda of many deprived Ghanaian lives.

The Electorate and Ghanaians in general have witnessed the serene procedure through which the NPP choose its leaders; from parliamentary candidates to the flagbearer; this underpins the fact that unity has prevailed among its leaders at all party levels.

This unity, maturity and humility have given NPP candidates greater credibility, as against a fragmented NDC due to their own greed and corrupt practices. These comparative factors climaxed with God inspired Nana Addo's Redefined Educational policy have indeed placed the NPP on an apex to win on 7th December 2012.

Ghanaians realise with gargantuan remorse how worst off they are now than they were, under the eight years of Kufuor/NPP government. The Mills/Mahama/Arthur NDC appointees have acquired an extreme unquenchable appetite for corruption; deceit and arrogance. They demonstrate total disregard to the poor plight of Ghanaians.

Their performance and image as in governance have been shameful and so abysmal that Ghanaians must quickly kick them out of office.

In their typical blind faith and propaganda antics, a divine policy which was once condemned and rebuked by the NDC has now become the very one they crave to implement in 2016 and beyond. Free SHS is a major ingredient to transform Ghanaian lives! Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP are committed to its implementation at all cost.