The implementation of the free Senior High School programme dominated the opening ceremony of the 4th edition of the National Policy Summit held at the Tamale City campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS).
The two-day event is to create a platform for sector Ministers to throw more light on the implementation of government’s flagship programmes.
The Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Bawumia in his opening remarks said the government would not be distracted by unfair criticisms by political opponents.
According to him, President Nana Akufo Addo’s administration’s vision is to transform Ghana to improve the well-being of the populace.
“Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has only been in office for just 20 months. The government has not finished its agenda, but we can say that significant progress has been made on our flagship policies.”
“What is incontrovertible is that without Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, there will be no restoration of teacher training allowances, no restoration of nursing training allowances, no Zongo Development Fund, no Planting For Food and Jobs, no National ID Cards, no Digital Address System, no paperless ports, no Development Authorities, no strong macroeconomic fundamentals, no Rehabilitation of VALCO, no US$2 billion innovative infrastructure financing arrangement with Sinohydro, no steps to establish integrated bauxite and aluminium industry, no mobile money interoperability, no reduction in electricity prices, no Change in the driver’s license applications, no Special Prosecutor on Corruption, no revival of Ghana’s railways, no transparent allocation of Ghana’s oil blocks.”
He touted the NPP as the best political party when it comes to the implementation of pro-poor programmes.
“When it comes to policies to protect the poor and vulnerable in Ghana, the NPP has a remarkable record. After all, the NPP is the party of NHIS, NYEP, Metro Mass Transit, LEAP, School Feeding, Free SHS, Free Maternal Care, etc. Can anyone recall the social intervention policies that the socialist NDC has implemented that has been sustained? No wonder they don’t want us to compare records.”
He unveiled statistics of applicants for the Nation Builders Corps saying, ‘So far, over 140,000 successful applicants were interviewed across all 254 districts in Ghana and placements are on-going for the successful 100,000 Nation Builders Trainees.”
He urged the citizenry to support the government to deliver its campaign promises.
“President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo must be supported by all Ghanaians in order for Ghana attain the staunch economic prosperity that all are desiring.”
“Within the last 20 months that President Akufo-Addo assumed the leadership of the country and management of its economy, a lot has been achieved, and these achievements perhaps wouldn’t have been attained without the President.”
He stressed that “without President Akufo-Addo, there wouldn’t have been free senior high school, one village one dam, one district one factory, one Constituency one warehouse, strong economic fundamentals, Nation Builders Corps among others.”
According to him, the government will in 2019 create more jobs in the public and private sectors.
He said there would be enough recruiting of Nurses and Teachers.
Alhaji Dr. Bawumia said the sharp increase in crude oil prices at the World market ought to be blamed for the upward adjustment of fuel prices at the local pumps.
The 2018 Summit’s team is, “Assessing Government Flagship Programmes; The Journey So Far.”
It is to offer government officials the opportunity to explain the implementation of flagship programmes and take feedback from stakeholders.
The Free Senior High School programme and Double track system, as well as the Technical and vocation training programmes, One District One Factory, One Village One Dam, National Health Insurance, and financing SMEs, are the major topics outlined for discussions.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
