The Eastern Regional Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Jerry Osei-Opoku, has pledged to garner one million votes and secure 30 out of 33 seats for the party in the December polls.
Addressing a press conference dubbed ‘The Youth Must Know’ series at Atiwa West District in the Eastern Region on Wednesday, Mr Osei-Opoku said government has delivered in the past three-and-a-half years to earn votes from the the electorate.
He took a swipe at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for its contradictory opinions on the implementation of the Free SHS programme, stating they were bereft of ideas.
“We can’t risk trusting the future of over 1.2 million children in their hands. They have shown time and again through their actions and utterances that they can’t sustain the Free SHS. They will either abolish Free SHS or collapse it like they did to NHIS.”
On infrastructure, he said the NDC only completed 29 E-block projects, representing 14.5 percent hence the boldness attached to the E-block was self-flattery and glorification of mediocrity.
“It is awkward for the corrupt NDC party to suggest that the mere construction of a classroom block with one or two ancillary facilities means they have built a new SHS. If building just a classroom is all it takes to establish a new SHS, then President Akufo-Addo could count not less than 500 new SHS in less than 4 years.”
He added: “NPP has built 2,729 classrooms that can accommodate an extra 109,160 pupils whereas John Dramani Mahama in four years built 840 classrooms that accommodate just about 33,600 pupils in second cycle level, assuming that average capacity of classrooms are 40.”
The regional youth organiser pointed out that NDC’s promise in its manifesto to absorb 50% fees of tertiary students for 2020-2021 academic year is a scam.
”The incompetent one couldn’t find about GH¢30 million to fund his shambolic progressively free education [and] is now promising to find over GH¢400 million to pay 50 percent of the fees of tertiary students for 2020/2021 academic year is a scam. If he couldn’t pay feeding grant of schools up north in that the schools had to close down for weeks at the beginning of every term, then he can’t pay 50 percent fees of tertiary students.”
According to him, the government led by President Akufo-Addo has completed and is still constructing a whopping 278 educational infrastructure projects in the Eastern Region alone, comprising classroom blocks, dormitories, staff common rooms, among others.
By Yvonne Neequaye|3news.com|Ghana