NPP congratulates John Mahama for selecting running mate

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Monday congratulated the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama on the choice of Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, a former Minister for Education as his running mate for the 2020 General Election.

In a statement issued to the media, NPP said by the NPP, however, criticised some of the decisions her Government made when she was the Minister of Education saying (2013 to 2017) saying they did not reflect the choices of a women' advocate.

For instance, it said it was during the tenure of Prof Opoku Agyemang that Trainee Teachers’ Allowances were scrapped.

“Apart from their transportation allowances not being paid, Naana Opoku Agyemang also introduced the practice of teachers working for two years without being paid and also being restricted to the payment of only three months back pay, no matter how long they had worked,” it said.

The NPP blamed her for superintending over a 'Progressively Free Senior High School programme where students were allegedly made to pay GHC1500 to GHC1700 each in some schools.

"Prof Opoku Agyemang during her time at the Ministry of Education cancelled the allowance for Trainee Teachers at a time they were paying only 9000 beneficiaries claiming it was huge on government’s purse.

“Research and Book allowances of our hard-working lecturers were cancelled.

"Today we have reintroduced Book and research allowance and government has also put together a stand-alone bill to dedicate enough resources for the fund,” the statement.

According to the statement, Prof Agyemang recently advised John Mahama to cancel the Licensure Examination for Teachers when, they regain power, a measure, which the NPP said would compromise professional standards.

It said it was capable of defeating the NDC team at the polls as it had a better track record in managing the affair of the nation.