Vote for Akufo-Addo because of Free SHS – Herbert Krapa

Government spokesperson on governance and legal affairs, Herbert Krapa, says “free education is revolutionary enough to be the stand-alone reason why the Ghanaian electorate should return President Akufo-Addo to the office on December 7″.

According to him, “it is the number one reason why Ghanaians shouldn't look beyond the number one man on the ballot.”

Ghanaians will go to the polls on Monday, December 7, 2020, to elect a President and members of the legislature for a four-year mandate, in what has been predicted by many polls as a first-round victory for President Akufo-Addo and the NPP.

Several leading figures of the two main political parties have been campaigning vigorously across the length and breadth of the country canvassing for votes for their preferred candidates.

In the Oti region, legal practitioner Herbert Krapa has in the last few weeks moved camp there to support the efforts of the regional executives of the NPP and has dared the party to break the dominance of NDC in the region by winning the majority of the eight seats.

He has been campaigning on a myriad of issues including the creation of the new region, which has boosted development, job creation, restoration of teacher and nursing training allowances, massive road and other infrastructure projects in the region among others. For him, however, free education stands so tall.

On Thursday when Mr Krapa campaigned in the Akan constituency, he urged residents to consider above everything else, the enormous benefits that the free SHS policy is providing them and the nation as a whole, and vote on that premise.

At Ahamansu, the soft-spoken lawyer intimated that “The president is a renowned and well-accomplished lawyer today because of the good education he had, and if such a person says all Ghanaian children should also be educated to the highest level by all means and at no cost to their parents, whether rich or poor, it only attests to the fact that Nana Akufo-Addo is not selfish at all.”

He said, “Wherever I have been to in this region and the country at large, the majority of the people keep praising President Akufo-Addo for the bold step in introducing the Free SHS programme, which has provided an opportunity for over a million children to be in school today who would not have been.”

He added that “I have seen families say, but for Free SHS their children would have been fishing, or turned teenage mothers and fathers, and be stuck hopelessly at home with their dreams of becoming doctors, lawyers, engineers among others dashed.”

These sentiments confirm the fact that “Free Education is the number one reason to vote President Akufo-Addo; number one on the ballot come December 7, 2020.”

Mr Krapa recounted that some years back, parents had to sell their properties to educate their children while others had to cast lots to choose who among siblings must be in school while the rest stayed at home.

However, under Nana Akufo-Addo, so far, about 1.2 million children, many of whom are from deprived homes, have a brighter future because they are in school.

Mr. Krapa is of the view that many Ghanaians, himself included, may probably not fully appreciate the phenomenal impact that free education has on the society of Ghana and the wellbeing of the people until a few years have passed when the long term benefits begin to show.

He said “With free SHS, the poor man’s children and the rich man’s children can all afford to be in the same top schools because money is no more a barrier to education.

On Wednesday Mr Krapa and the leadership of the party campaigned in the Nkwanta South constituency with a similar message.

A resident of Breweniase, Elikem Helen said “free SHS has given us hope. The number of okada riders has reduced because most of the boys who would have joined the trade are in school. We have seen that those who went to a boarding school outside the region have returned with some exposure. Free SHS is good.”

Veronica Worlanyo, a porridge seller at Fankyenekor whose two children are beneficiaries of the policy said, “To have two kids in school requires a lot of sweat and tears and grave sacrifice. However, under this NPP government, one of my children who were in a school in Accra has completed and with good grades too.”

She added that “We did not vote for NPP in 2016, but we have seen the changes in this town and the entire constituency, due to free SHS. It is time to change our voting ways and give NPP the chance.”

Mr Herbert Krapa pleaded with residents not to resort to insults when campaigning but rather to be ambassadors of free SHS and take the good message to every corner of Ghana. He said, “when you have a strong and powerful message like free SHS you don't need to lie or insult.”

The NPP team also campaigned in communities such as Ampeyo, Pampawie, Dapaah and Dodo fie, in the Akan constituency, where their message of 'four more for Nana to do more for you' was received with euphoria and excitement.

Mr Krapa urged residents to vote for Nana Akufo-Addo and His Excellency Rashid Bawa, both of whom are seasoned politicians with the ability and vision to move Akan constituency and Ghana forward.