2024 Election: ‘One Student One Laptop’ initiative designed by NPP to buy votes – Richard Kasu

Civil Rights Activist & Executive Director (CFF-Ghana), Richard Kasu has accused government of launching the ‘One Student One Laptop’ initiative just to buy votes from Ghanaians in the 2024 General Election.

President Akufo-Addo on Monday, March 25, launched the Ghana Smart Schools Project, to add further impetus to what he described as a transformative policy that has broken myths and liberated minds – the free senior high school programme.

Under the Ghana Smart Schools Project, government is proceeding with plans to distribute some one-point-three million (1.3 million) educational tablets to students in senior high schools.

The tablets are fitted with digital content to aid research, teaching, and learning. At the tertiary level, Government plans to provide, at a discounted price, tablets and laptops to students and lecturers to facilitate academic work.

In a statement reacting to the development, Richard Kasu has argued that the initiative has been designed by NPP to buy votes from unsuspecting Ghanaians.

Below is a statement by Richard Kasu sharing his view on the initiative.

One Student, One Laptop Initiative designed by NPP to buy votes from unsuspecting Ghanaians-Richard Kasu

1. On Wednesday, 27th March, a Takoradi based radio station engaged me to share my views on the One Student, One Laptop Initiative launched by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

2. I indicated clearly that the initiative sounds good but is ill timed coming more especially at a time fundamental challenges of the free SHS have not been addressed to ensure quality learning outcomes.

3. I was vivid and questioned the status of our Information Communication and Technology (ICT) infrastructure including laboratories in secondary schools especially in less endowed schools.

4. I emphasized that the initiative government claims to help improve computer literacy and technological know-how among young Ghanaian students in its current form is populist and deliberately designed to woo unsuspecting young voters to vote for the NPP government in the upcoming elections.

5. I also reminded the public about the mouthwatering promises of then candidate Akufo-Addo which never materialized when given the mandate as the President of the Republic and that no Ghanaian whether parent, guardian or student should fall for ill-intentioned promises of government or initiatives being implemented deliberately to buy votes.

Richard Kasu
(Civil Rights Activist & Executive Director, CFF-Ghana)

0549229107