Juabeng/Ashanti, Nov. 4, Chronicle -- President John Agyekum Kufuor has indicated that when the NPP is given the mandate to go for the second term in the coming election, his government would ensure free and quality education for children of between the school-going age of 4 and 16 years.

The President said this policy would afford children who had been denied access to education as a result of poverty, the chance to go to school.

He described as unfortunate the situation where people tended to read politics into issues concerning education, saying, "Education is the key to development and must be of concern to all".

Speaking at a durbar of the chiefs and people at Juaben in the Ejisu/Juaben district during his tour of Ashanti, Mr. Kufuor noted that the NPP saw education as a major priority, saying, "to the NPP, education comes first before politics".

President Kufuor said the government would also reconsider the welfare of teachers to enhance quality education by increasing opportunities for the training of teachers through the improvement of facilities at the training colleges.

The President hinted that in the 2nd phase of the NPP administration, the government would rekindle the policy of private sector development by supporting individuals to set up enterprises that would be of mutual benefit to the owners and the country as a whole.

"Government always runs at a loss with the state-owned enterprises since a few people misuse the money at the expense of others. Because of this, the NPP will not tolerate the operations of state owned enterprises. It will rather support individuals who decide to establish any good and beneficial project," he stressed.

President Kufuor also assured Ghanaians of good health policies to ensure quality health care delivery for all. He said the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which is one of the NPP's major policies, would be fully implemented in the interest of all Ghanaians, adding, during its second term, the government would fight even harder to boost the economy and, therefore, called on Ghanaians to vote the NPP into power to continue its good work, which had manifested in the lives of the people.

The NPP flag bearer renewed his appeal to the party faithful not to vote "skirt and blouse" but rather vote for him and all the NPP parliamentary candidates since he, as a president, could not do the work all alone without the support of his MPs.

He again charged them not to vote for Independent candidates who claimed to be NPP members. "If they persuade you to vote for them, ask them about which people they would consult on issues when they finally get there".

President Kufuor commended the Chief of Juaben, Nana Otuo Serebuor for his commitment to the Presidential Special Initiative and assured him of the government's support in both the oil palm plantation and shear butter production.

Nana Serebuor praised the government too for its good policies and initiatives from which the Ejisu/Juabeng District had benefited in so many ways including education, health and infrastructure development.