By Caleb Kuleke
Ho, March 14, GNA – Mr Ransford Delali Kasu a former Parliamentary Aspirant in the Ho Central Constituency, has commended President John Dramani Mahama for his bold and decisive decision to heavily invest in the education sector in the 2025 budget.
He said the budget presented by Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance to Parliament, allotted GHS 3.5 billion to the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, showed that the President had kept faith with Ghanaians.
Mr Kasu who gave the commendation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the President deserved high praise for the provision of GHS 3.5 billion to sustain the Free SHS programme and creating a dedicated funding source.
“This remarkable feat makes John Mahama a man of his words contrary to vile Propaganda by NPP apparatchiks that JM will cancel free SHS when voted for,” Mr Kasu said.
“The provision of GHS 564.6 million to procure textbooks to ensure effective teaching and learning activities as well as Ghc 145.5 million to take care of capitation grant in Basic schools and the uncapping of the GETFUND, were major signs of good times for the education sector and must be applauded by all well-meaning Ghanaians,” he said.
Mr Kasu mentions interventions such as the much anticipated “No Fee Stress” for first year tertiary students, a major campaign promise, whose fulfilment in the budget received widespread admiration.
“Another major fulfilment of campaign promise is the no fee stress, which saw financial allocation for the payment of admission fees for fresh students in public Tertiary institutions and Persons with Disabilities, making Tertiary education easily accessible for all makes Mahama stand tall as a President who is committed to the transformation of the nation’s human resources,” he said.
He also mentioned the government’s plans to implement the free sanitary pad scheme for girls as equally great could help in the restoration of citizen’s confidence of the political class.
Mr Kasu said “I believe by the time the report on the education reforms forum is submitted and implemented coupled with the huge financial allocations; the education sector will be transformed positively”.
The former parliamentary aspirant further praised President Mahama for the National Apprenticeship Programme which got GHS 300 million for youth empowerment through skills training.
Mr Kasu said the programme remained crucial for the transformation of the nation’s youth, and commended other programmes and interventions such as a national digital skills programme and
the Women’s Development Bank among others, all which received significant allocations in the budget.
Again, the allocation of GHS 300 million towards the National Apprenticeship programme where the teeming youth would be equipped with skills, tools and start-up capital would go a long way in reduce social menace like drug abuse, armed robbery and national insecurity.
He stated that in all, the budget offered hope to the Ghanaian youth with GHS 100 million for the National Coders programme, women by the allocation of funds for the Women’s Development Bank, students, farmers, businessmen and investors by reducing taxes as well as cost of doing business and presents plans to implement a broad reset agenda to stabilise the economy and bring relief to the ordinary man.”
GNA
MA/CAA