NDC promises to increase capitation grant

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the weekend said the NDC would increase the capitation grant from the current GH¢ 3.00 to GH¢ 17.00 per child.

It also promised to ensure that the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) was implemented absolutely free according to the letter and spirit of the constitution when it came to power.

Mr John Dramani Mahama, running mate to Professor Atta Mills, NDC flag bearer, who was speaking at the NDC week celebration of Tertiary Education Institutional Network (TEIN) of the NDC at Takoradi Polytechnic Chapter said the GH¢3.00 per child for a year was too small for any government to be proud of.

He said the NPP was not doing any benevolent work by providing the capitation grant and the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE), which were constitutionally mandatory.

He urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to purge itself of complacency and again give Ghana a credible and fair election in December.

"Ghana's EC conducted four successful elections and became a toast of the world and a model to Africa but unfortunately it has been engulfed by complacency."

Mr Mahama said when the NDC was raising issues about the performance of the EC over a bloated register, "our opponents said we were beating war drums. If the last registration is anything to go by, then the EC should bow its head in shame."

He said it was always electoral disputes that had ruined many African countries and set their clock of development back and this was exactly what the NDC was trying to prevent.

"The PNDC/NDC has ruled this nation from a collapsed state and took it through a constitutional state to a higher pedestal and handed over power peacefully and could ill-afford to watch the country drift into chaos through the complacency of the EC."

Mr Mahama maintained that he still stood by what he termed the theory of comparison of records that such an activity would lead to mediocrity and "when I explained the theory to primary school pupils they understood it".

He said for instance the NDC made sure that all the 10 regions got a polytechnic each and established three new universities, built three state of the art hospitals in three regions, introduced the GETfund and initiated many other development projects.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP), he said, was using the GETfund to provide facilities at those institutions and asked how they could make comparisons of such a situation.

The said the nation was faced with more challenging issues which should be addressed than mere comparison of records.

Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, General Secretary of the party, said the oil find could be a blessing or a curse to Ghanaians if it was not properly managed and the interest of nation protected because history had shown that countries where oil is found is fraught with crime and wars.

He said Ghanaians should be wary of unrealistic promises such as turning the Western Region where oil is found into “heaven”.