Effiduase: Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, a hopeful candidate for the flagbearer position of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has pledged to implement free university education if chosen by party delegates and subsequently elected as President by the citizens of Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Adutwum, who previously served as the Education Minister, believes that this policy is achievable given Ghana's successful execution of the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme. He highlighted that the Free SHS initiative was even more costly due to the need to provide meals for students. Dr. Adutwum questioned why a similar approach could not be adopted for tertiary education, where the financial demands primarily revolve around academic fees.
Dr. Adutwum addressed the delegates at Effiduase during his campaign tour in the Ashanti Region, emphasizing that extending free education to the tertiary level would be a significant priority if he were to lead the country. He urged that the NPP, having pioneered the Free SHS programme, should advance this mission to make education fully accessible nationwide.
He pointed out that numerous beneficiaries of the Free SHS policy face financial challenges that may hinder their progression to university education. He stressed the importance of policy continuity to safeguard the country's investment in secondary education. Dr. Adutwum warned that failure to implement such an intervention might drive young individuals towards the National Democratic Congress, which currently covers first-year fees for students in public universities.
'As the party that boldly implemented Free SHS, a policy others doubted, we must again lead the way by committing more resources to build the human capital of this country,' he asserted. He shared that his commitment to free university education was deeply influenced by his upbringing in poverty as the son of a cocoa farmer, which fueled his dedication to advocating for pro-poor policies that could uplift vulnerable families.
He further expressed his desire to lead Ghana in implementing bold, people-centered policies aimed at alleviating poverty and fostering sustainable development. Dr. Adutwum also unveiled a series of welfare initiatives he plans to introduce to enhance the livelihoods of the party's grassroots, should he become the flagbearer and eventually the President.