In America, there is a popular TV show called “Who wants to be a Millionaire?” The show is on weekdays on America Broadcasting Corporation. (ABC) On the show, the host will ask the contestant a question, followed by multiple answers. Sometimes the contestant gets the answer correct at the first attempt. Sometimes too, he/she gives the question a second or third attempt to get it right. The ultimate goal is to win One Million Dollars.
The host will normally ask the contestant if the answer he/she gave was the final answer. It happens like that if the contestant tried to find an answer on his/her second or third attempt. The following are some of the reasons why the host would ask the contestant whether that was his/her final answer:
• If the host saw that the contestant wasn’t sure of the answer he/she gave;
• If the contestant struggled to answer the question, but pretended that all was well;
• If there was a possibility that the contestant will change the answer again, and
• If the answer the contestant gave was not correct and so the host wanted to give him/her another chance to get it right.
Since Nana Akuffo-Addo first mentioned his Free High School Education, which he later changed it to Free QUALITY High School Education; he has given multiple answers to the reason why Ghana must have Free SHS by September 2013. I will give a few below. I know I might not capture all the answers and certainly the list will not include the final answer. These are the bogus answers Nana has given so far:
1. To modernize the Ghanaian economy
2. For (female) Maternal Mortality
3. To solve the garbage situation in Ghana
4. To boost the Ghanaian economy
5. To send the Education system back to four (4) years
6. For poor families to send their children to school
7. To make Senior High School part of the basic education
8. To solve the problem of electricity load shedding
9. To provide health facilities across the country, and
10. To provide all “kayayei” free housing across the country
Ladies and Gentlemen, Nana Akuffo-Addo has given at least ten bogus answers why he is bringing Free Senior High School Education to Ghana. So as a host of “Free Senior High School Education,” I will ask, what is Nana’s final answer? I even hope Nana would not come up with another answer but so long as the campaign is on-going and Ghanaians would continue to ask genuine questions, I know Nana would continue to give bogus answers. I am not making that up. He has the track record to do that again.
When you ask a psychologist, he/she will tell you that when a person gives multiple answers to the same question, it means that either the person was intentionally lying or the person didn’t know what he/she was talking about. But when it comes to politics and especially for someone who wants to become the President of a nation, none of the two reasons for giving multiple answers to a question is acceptable.
Forget about what I have told you for the past 5 minutes or so and ask yourself this basic question; is Nana lying to us intentionally about the Free SHS or he is telling us something he doesn’t know about? Because you see, if you trace the argument from the time Nana mentioned the Free SHS at a London Talk Show to today, (Free SHS to provide free housing for all kayayei) you will notice that the Free SHS has undergone dramatic and drastic changes. I want you to see if you can really trust such a proposal.
Nana, Ghanaians want to know your final answer to your Free Senior High School Education so that they can have well informed data for analysis. The way you keep changing your answers is incredible. If it is calculated to confuse the Ghanaian voters so that out of the confusing, they will vote for you, then please have another strategy. This one will not work. Ghana has come far enough and will not turn back.
Fellow Ghanaians, Nana Akuffo-Addo has already given us ten different and bogus answers why he wants to bring Free Senior High School Education. The next time he gives another answer, please ask him; Nana, what at all is your final answer on Free SHS? If he gives you another answer, remember what a psychologist would tell you about that. The Presidency is all about TRUST and not about propaganda.
The bottom line is that the Free Senior High School Education Nana Akuffo-Addo and the NPP are promising Ghanaians is a hoax. It is “419” It is meant to deceive Ghanaians to vote for him to be the President. Once he becomes the President, he will turn around and tell you why the constitution would not allow him to do it. He will turn around to tell you why there is no money to implement it. He will turn around and tell you why the school structures would not allow for implementation in 2013. Do you still remember that Dr. Bawumia said they will build 350 schools every year for the next four years? These are all lies and you don’t need to fall for that. Certainly, you are far better than these people who are doing “sakawa” to people for their votes. Nana Akuffo-Addo has another answer to his Free SHS. Let’s all wait for it. Vote them out. They have nothing better to offer mother Ghana. Trust me on that.
“The NPP left a big mess for the NDC. They think the NDC is not cleaning it fast enough and so they want to come back and continue with the same mess. Ghana is not going back again. Ghana is moving forward”

Lawrence Appiah-Osei
NDC USA Finance Secretary
Appiah65@Hotmail.com