Former President John Dramani Mahama, the NDC’s flagbearer for the 2024 general election, has provided clarity on the party’s, ‘No Fees Stress’ policy.
The party at the launch of its Youth Manifesto in Accra, revealed that if it won the December polls, it would absorb academic user facility fees, a component of the fees, for first year students into all public tertiary institutions.
The flagbearer, at a townhall meeting with the Youth at Ho as part of his just ended four-day campaign tour of the Volta Region, said the policy would cushion parents and students from bearing full cost of the fees for ‘freshers’ which is higher than those of continuing students.
For example, the NDC flagbearer cited the story of a medical student in the Upper East Region who had passed his WASSCE, got admission to study medicine at the university but could not proceed because his parents could not raise the fees to make his dream of becoming a medical doctor a reality.
“So we don’t want, especially first years to go through what we call the fee stress and that is why we call it no fee stress policy. We’ll absorb the academic user facility fees but it will not affect the subventions of government to the universities. We have costed it and we approximate that for all first year students in public tertiary institutions, it should cost between GH¢270 million and GH¢290 million (for an academic year),” the NDC leader stated.
On funding the policy, the former President said the wastage in the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government, citing the President’s infamous private jet travels and other extravagances would be enough to fund the policy.
He said the Students Loan Trust Fund would be resourced to give students who can’t afford beyond level 100 the financial buffer to be able to finish their studies.
The welfare of the youth, the former President said would form a cardinal part of his government if he wins the election.
He said the Volta and Oti Regions abound in arable lands which are good for the cultivation of Cocoa, oil palm, ginger and other food crops to stimulate rapid economic development.
The NDC government, he said, would build markets at Jasikan in the Oti Region, Aflao and Dzodze in the Volta Region and complete the Eastern Corridor road to boost trade between the two regions and Togo.
Former President Mahama said the reconstruction of the Ho-Aflao highway, expansion of water supply systems, and completion of eastern corridor road would be given the needed attention to facilitate development.
He charged voters in the region to continue to back the party as same remains the surest way to accelerate the development of the region and the country as a whole.
In Keta, the NDC flagbearer said persons who misappropriated a US$8 million facility meant for the construction of the administration block of the Keta Port would be held accountable.
“When we come, we are going to audit the Keta Port project. We are going to investigate it. Anybody who has chopped money there, we would hold them accountable” he said stressing the need for a comprehensive research and needs assessment before citing a port between Tema Port and Port of Lome.
The campaign also took Mr Mahama to North, South and Central Tongu, Keta, Akatsi North and South, Afadjato South, Hohoe, Ketu North and South, Adaklu, North and South Dayi, Kpando
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI & SAMUEL AGBEWODE
