Free tablet policy: You are simply lying – Prof. Gyampo tells Bawumia
“Dear those who were listening and hailing. You know you have your children in secondary schools and they don’t have these laptops. So why are you doing this to yourselves?”
Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has criticized Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for allegedly making misleading claims regarding the distribution of free tablets to Senior High School students.
During his Greater Accra regional tour on June 5, 2024, Dr. Bawumia stated, “Today, for every senior high school student, we have given them one tablet for free. One student, one tablet. We are the first country in the whole of Africa to give all our senior high school students tablets for free; and even in the advanced nations, many have not done it.”
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Reacting to this statement, Professor Gyampo took to his official Facebook page on June 12, 2024, to express his skepticism and demand clarity.
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He urged the Vice President to name schools that have received the supposed tablets, rather than making broad claims.
“Dear Sir, I think we can simply say some laptops are being distributed to some schools and give specific examples of those schools that have received them, rather than your emphasis in this video, which gives an impression that you either do not know what you are talking about or you are simply lying,” Professor Gyampo wrote.
He further challenged those supporting Dr. Bawumia’s statement to wake up to the reality.
“Dear those who were listening and hailing. You know you have your children in secondary schools and they don’t have these laptops. So why are you doing this to yourselves?” he added.
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Professor Gyampo also called on Dr. Bawumia’s speechwriters to ensure the accuracy of the Vice President’s public statements to avoid future embarrassment.
He stressed the importance of fact-based communication, especially in political campaigns.
“Finally, Dear Sir, please check and verify some of the claims yourself, so you can nuance your public campaign addresses. You haven’t given every senior high school child any laptop for free. If a goat will die and hasn’t died, it is not a dead goat. Please speak to the facts on the ground. We can excuse your boss for reading only prepared speeches, but as you know, he is a goner,” he advised.
Professor Gyampo concluded by urging a more truthful approach to political discourse, emphasizing the need to focus on achievements that can be verified rather than making sweeping and unsubstantiated claims.
“Let’s learn and speak to only the facts in this campaign. If the government has commenced distributing some laptops to some schools, this alone should be the focus. Else you are committing a self-incriminating political suicide by perpetuating the derogatory perception held by the opposition that you don’t tell the truth,” he stated.
Source: modernghana
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