I will keep pregnant students in school – MP aspirant

The National Democratic Congress parliamentary candidate for Shai Osudoku in the Greater Accra Region Linda Ocloo, has said she would ensure that students who get pregnant do not drop out of school.

This, she said, is inherent in her vision to empower women in the constituency when elected as Member of Parliament. Linda was the wife of William Ocloo, the NDC’s parliamentary candidate for the constituency who died in a gruesome accident this year.

She said challenges facing women in the area can be dealt with by encouraging female students who in one way or the other become pregnant to keep going to school.

“They must be supported to continue their education to the highest level and it is only in that way that we can eradicate joblessness and also inspire them to pursue their ambitions in live,” she added, “getting pregnant is not something I will personally encourage, but that should not be the end to their educational ladder, they must be supported even financially and I am ready to do that, it is not difficult. “It will not be difficult and has never been because it is being done. Helping people in situation is something my late husband and I have been doing and I think when I get to Parliament I will do more to uplift our educational standard.”

Linda Akwele Ocloo, beat Dr. Michael Kpessa Whyte to win the National Democratic Congress’ parliamentary primary in the Shai Osudoku Constituency.

At the end of voting, Linda Akwele Ocloo polled 5,156 votes, with Dr. Kpessa Whyte managing 3,372 votes.

Speaking on Kokromoti, an election 2016 centered program on Onua FM on Monday, Madam Linda Ocloo also noted that, with her background in financing, she will make available soft loans for market women.

This she said will not only go a long way to expand their businesses to take care of their dependants but also save those who hitherto were reeling under the burden of high rate loans from banks and microfinance scammers.

“I want to transform women, train them on prudent ways of using their resources to maximize profit and in that way they will in turn support their families.”

The Shai Osudoku area is largely noted for cash crops farming and it is for this reason that Linad Ocloo is promising to lobby for heavily subsidized farm inputs and implement for farmers there. She maintained that famers, who formerly struggle to get tractors to work with, will have it at their disposal as well as fertilizers.

“Shai Osudoku will become food hub; we will produce to feed our people and the country as a whole. Youths will be gainfully employed, eliminating brain drain and sojourn to the urban areas for non- existing jobs”. My husband has started works on two sports complex and I will complete them to accomplish his vision for the youths of the area," she said.

The parliamentary candidate latched onto the refrain that “what men can do, women like her can do better” to emphasized her determination.