Education minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh aka Napo, has stated emphatically that people who are praying for the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy to fail will forever remain in a state of despondency.
According to him, the policy, initiated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration to properly educate the youth of the country and relieve poor parents/guardians of the burden of giving their children senior secondary education, “is here to stay.”
He stated that contrary to wild rumours by opponents of the NPP that the positive social intervention policy would hit the rocks; the Free SHS programme is solidly secured and would continue to flourish in the years to come.
Napo said funding for the programme is not a problem as the saboteurs have been alleging, stating that it is not facing any financial problems and so Ghanaians should remain calm.
“They initially lied that the Free SHS policy was a mere campaign message, used by Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP just to win votes during the 2016 national elections; but we have proved them wrong by successfully introducing it.
“Now they are saying that the policy will crash when the current batch of beneficiaries of the policy reaches second term, but that is also a great lie as the policy is rather growing from strength to strength.
“Just as the Free SHS introduction was successful, so will the second term, third term, the second batch of beneficiaries and all other future beneficiaries of the policy be successful,” Napo stated to a rapturous applause.
The minister, who doubles as the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia South Constituency in Kumasi, was addressing hundreds of NPP delegates in his constituency at the Saint Anne’s Anglican Church on Monday.
The Manhyia South branch of the NPP used the occasion to take stock of its activities during the past year and formulated strategies to improve the party this year.
The education minister, sounding very confident, said the Free SHS policy is dear to the heart of President Akufo-Addo, who wants Ghanaian youth to climb high the academic ladder, and so nothing can stop it.
Napo called for total unity and oneness among the party members in the constituency and Ghana in general, stressing that the NPP administration would easily fulfill all its campaign promises if the party members remained united.
He stated that backbiting, insults and insinuations should cease in the NPP, now that the party is in power, adding that members should be mindful of the fact that they have a common destiny.
Source: dailyguideafrica.com