Of Hon Mahama Ayariga’s motion in Parliament and the NPP MP’s opposition

One of the false claims communicators of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parroted in the 2016 and 2020 elections, and they continue to say, is that John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are anti-education. Indeed, then candidate Nana Akufo-Addo was on countless occasions heard ‘singing’ this false claims.

National Organizer of the Party, Sammy Awuku, once said, albeit ignorantly, that the NDC was against implementation of free SHS because when Ghanaians are lettered, they would not vote for the Party. I tagged this ignorant ranting because the same man and Party he made this false claim against was the same group of people who have unmatched record of building schools both at the basic, secondary and tertiary levels than any other government in the fourth Republic.

Today, a Member of Parliament of the Party they accused of being anti-education, Hon Mahama Ayariga of Bawku Central, has moved a motion in Parliament to request the President, Nana Akufo-Addo to suspend the payment of fees by new entrants into public tertiary education institutions and fees of continuing students of those institutions for the year 2020/ 2021 academic year. This should have been embraced by both sides of the House without any debate just as ex-gratia issues. But NO!

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Surprisingly, the Party that claims they are ‘lovers’ and ‘promoters’ of education are vehemently opposed to this motion. I thought a motion to lift the burden of paying fees off students and parents in this trying times of covid-19 should have been moved by those who claim they are promoters of education and not those accused of being anti-education? It is sad that a Party that supported and went every length to defend and pass the fraudulent Agyapa deal which would have gifted our mineral resources to a selected few at the expense of the future of these students are opposed to this motion. In effect, the NPP is telling students and parents that regardless of the havoc Covid-19 has caused the business, they should find ways to pay the fees. For those who are cash trapped and cannot afford the fees this academic year, sit home or go on the street and hawk. In other words the NPP does not care what you do with your life.

The same free SHS graduates the NPP accused the NDC of being an obstruction in their way are part of students the NDC is fighting for today. The same free SHS graduates the NPP naively said would fetch them two million votes in the 2020 elections are those they are against their well-being today. May be the Party’s vision was that a lot of children should be trained at the senior high level and after they leave them to do whatever they want to do with their lives. This is a crucial time in the life of every country that every government is cushioning it’s citizens but in Ghana, NPP says NO.

It is refreshing that proceedings in Parliament are now telecast live on TV and on social media. The youth of this country and parents will get to see how these NPP goons are against this laudable move by Hon Ayariga and the NDC. The Chief of Staff made us aware that the CODVID-19 fund has yielded some GHC 57 million, yet government claims it cannot absorb the fees of these students and free parents from sleepless nights due to adverse effect Covid19 have had on their businesses.

Thankfully, the numbers in Parliament on both sides do not give the NPP leverage to bulldoze their way through and get this motion rejected. Hopefully, by close of day, Ghanaians, particularly students, will know if their NPP MPs are in Parliament to serve their interest or the interest of their Party. May God bless our Homeland Ghana.

Amorse Blessing Amos
Deputy Greater Accra Regional Youth Organizer – NDC
[email protected]