The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has pledged to roll out the original free Senior High School (SHS) education project if he wins political power in 2016.

Addressing residents of Kumasi in a radio interview, Nana Addo said the NPP has not abandoned the free SHS programme as the party is firmly committed to it.

“The free SHS project is a firm commitment of the NPP; it wasn’t a political tool to win votes. We need to develop our nation, and we will go back to the original project and implement it even though we acknowledge things are not the same as they were,” the NPP presidential candidate posited.

The Mahama-led NDC government has begun to roll out its ‘progressively free SHS programme’ after denigrating the idea during the 2012 electioneering campaign. Under the NDC government’s policy, government is paying GH¢38 for day students, leaving parents to pay GH¢380.

The ruling party had argued among other things that aside its sustainability, the programme would only seek to promote and produce half-baked students for the country at the expense of quality, only to change its stance and roll out its progressively free SHS policy on assuming power.

Political Gimmick

But the leader of the opposition NPP said the NDC only thought of the policy as a political tool to win votes, and not as a policy to develop the nation, intimating that the current programme is a deviation from the original one espoused by the NPP.

He asked the Ghanaian electorate to give him the mandate, pledging that he wouldn’t betray their trust. He assured that Ghanaians would find in him a trustworthy leader committed to transforming the country.

Nana Addo told listeners of Ashh Fm, as part of his ‘Rise and Build’ tour of the Ashanti Region, that he and the NPP remained committed to addressing the wobbling economy, corruption in government and the current unemployment situation.

According to him, poor management of the economy has brought the country on its knees amidst instability of the nation’s currency and high taxing regime, which has shot up the cost of doing business.

The NPP flagbearer stated that he would run a just government to stabilise the cedi, review the tax regime downwards and invest in the private sector in order to promote the growth of the economy and create jobs and wealth for the citizenry.

In his view, the private sector remains the engineering growth of the economy – a philosophy which continues to be the core value of the NPP as a political party.

Ghana Can Rise Again

“I know things have gone bad in this country, but I know Ghana can rise again. And this is why I am offering myself to lead our country. You can trust me,” Nana Addo stated as he appealed for support for his presidential bid.

He called on residents of the Ashanti Region to continuously have faith in the NPP and vote for him in the 2016 elections, noting that the party has targeted to bag 80 percent of the Ashanti Region’s votes in order to guarantee a smooth victory.

“I am coming for your [Asanteman’s] development and the rest of Ghana. Vote for jobs, vote for growth and vote to build Ghana again. Continue to have faith in me and I will not disappoint you,” Nana Addo solemnly pledged.

He also promised to accord the welfare of security personnel, particularly the police, the needed attention to boost the morale of officers.

Nana Addo is expected to visit Adansi Asokwa, New Edubiase, Asante Akyem North, South and Central as well as Bosome Freho constituencies on day one.

The rest include Afigya-Kwabre North and South constituencies, Sekyere Afram Plains constituency, Kumawu, Ejisu, Juaben, Mampong, Ejura-Sekyeredumasi, Nsuta-Kwaman-Beposo and Kwabre East constituencies.

The second day of the Rise and Build tour will take Nana Addo to constituencies such as Adansi-Akrofuom, Obuasi East and West, Bekwai, Odotobiri, Manso Nkwanta, Manso Adubia, Atwima-Mponua, Atwima-Kwanwoma, Atwima – Nwabiagya North and South as well as Ahafo-Ano North, South-West and South East.