(Part 1)
There is a saying that “Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”

Honestly, the leader and flag bearer of the great NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo’s approach and determination to transforming the Ghanaian economy with an educated workforce is laudable.

I think it is also a legitimate call on Nana Addo to bring details of how the NPP would implement the free Senior High School (SHS) programme when given the mandate. What baffles me is when I hear the NDC especially asking where Nana Akufo-Addo was going to get money to implement the free SHS education. We cannot continue to do the same things over and over again and expect our economy to be transformed.

We are told that, under the current education system, about 50 % of basic school levers are unable to enter secondary school. Is this damning statistics that is churned out not dangerous for our beloved Ghana? Have we as a country thought of how we deliberately waste tremendous human capital? And where are we heading with such frightening statistics? Can the NDC tell Ghanaians their policy and clear programme on education?

The cardinal point in governance, that the ruling NDC is failing to realise is that, leadership is about making choices and priorities. If we, as a country really wanted to compete effectively in the global economy, we have no option than to consciously invest in education. Unfortunately, we have a certain irresponsible government whose priority was to set aside a whopping 600 million Ghana Cedis or about 400 million US dollars equivalent as so-called Judgment Debt. This is not to suggest that paying judgment debt is wrong but this obvious negligence and reckless consented judgment debts under President Mills is problematic. And that is a choice and a priority of the Mills-Mahama administration.

If the NDC government was comfortable with the damning statistics under the education system, we are not! That is why Nana Akufo-Addo has repeatedly pledged to make education the foundational issue of the next NPP government. And he says “we ought to and we shall accord education the importance it deserves at the top of our priorities. An educated and trained workforce will transform our economy, an educated and trained population will give us the confidence required to deal with the rest of the world in the competitive economy.”

As far back September 01, 2011, he opined that “I (Akufo-Addo) am convinced that for tomorrow’s Ghana the basic education has to be set at secondary level. I know this is an old refrain of mine and I know that the cost is high but I also know the cost of not doing this is even more astronomical. We cannot afford the cost of not having an educated population or workforce.”

To achieve that quality education Nana Addo is also saying that our selfless teachers will be part of his programmes and he says “Putting education at the top of our priorities means that we shall pursue the Teacher First policy that we have developed. It is only a crop of well trained, self confident and contented teachers that would deliver the educated and skilled workforce we require to transform our economy. Under the Teacher First policy, we shall restore the teaching profession to the status it once enjoyed and make it an attractive career choice.”

I am very confident that the NPP led by Nana Akufo-Addo will deliver when given the nod to lead Ghana. He has said he will add value to our physical infrastructure in order to accommodate our basic school levers and, to access the free and quality education the NPP is espousing.

Scandinavia Countries like Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland have free education to it citizenry even to the tertiary level. Until recently Sweden provides fully subsidise tuition fees for foreigners. In 2007/2008, I personally applied for an admission and I had offers from 5 different Sweden universities. For some reasons

I could not attend nevertheless that was a conscious effort by the Swedish government to fully subsidise tuition fees for foreigners and it citizenry still enjoys free education. That is investing in human capital development to achieve accelerated growth and transformed economy. Uganda has been able to do it, who says Ghana cannot do this?

Those of us who are wallowing in mediocrity and think that this laudable programme is not feasible should revise our notes. In any event, the NPP has said in due course we are going to give details on how this programme is going to be rolled up and funded. It is highly impressive that Nana Akufo-Addo’s approach and thinking is far different from that of his compatriots. And, indeed Ghana cries for a leader who can think outside of the box.

I thought President Mills should have capitalised on the solid foundation left by President Kufuor, the lower middle income economy, oil economy and an overwhelming social interventions. Instead, the NDC is boasting of free school uniforms, free exercise books and reducing schools under trees. Under President Kufuor pupils were also given free exercise books in the public schools, and I know Oninku Drive No. 1 & 2 School in Tema Community One benefitted from that too. Schools under trees were considerably reduced under President Kufuor and the NDC has also done well in continuously eradicating schools under trees.
What, I am saying is that, in the face of the frightening statistics under the education system, the NDC government has shown no commitment in dealing with this national problem. We seem not to care about the future of these needy young ones and the plights of the ordinary Ghanaian. Yet, the NDC is only interested in trumpeting that they are Social-democratic party but when it comes to policies and progrmmes to reduce the burden on the ordinary Ghanaian, they fumble miserably in government.

In “Part 2” of my article, I will look at the so-called unprecedented economic fit the NDC is touting while the masses, the ordinary Ghanaian day in, day out is impoverished. I will also demystify Nana Akufo-Addo’s vision of purposefully putting Ghana at the forefront of the industrialisation of West Africa and the economic transformation programme that would enable Ghana become a high income economy.

Until there is a paradigm shift in our economy this laudable programme of free SHS education cannot be sustained if Nana Addo is elected. Fortunately, he possesses the requisite qualities and the right leadership Ghana needs today. The transformational and competent leadership that Nana Akufo-Addo is bringing will move Ghana forward and Africa should watch out for this focused leader. The world and, Ghana for that matter has no time to waste on visionless and mediocre leaders.

I want to conclude by saying, the good people of Ghana especially we the youth, should vote for a confident leader who will take bold decisions that will create a society of aspirations and opportunities for every Ghanaian. And I have no doubt Nana Akufo-Addo will deliver results with sagacity and exigency.
God bless us all.
Solomon A. Kabu (solomonkabu@yahoo.com)
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