Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, an agricultural economist and a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Manifesto Committee says the party’s proposed policy to scrap academic fees for all first-year students in public universities is feasible
Speaking on Dwaboase programme on TV XYZ, the former Deputy General Secretary of the NDC stated that the party researched into the proposal and realised that it will tackle cost barriers that prevent many brilliant students from getting access to university education in the country.
His comment follows a promise the party’s flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, made during the NDC youth manifesto launch in Accra on Monday, August 12, to introduce the policy to support struggling students.
Otokunor said when the party wins the December polls, the policy will be implemented across the country and that the flag bearer is committed to see its implementation as a way of retooling the youth with necessary skills to make contributions to the development of the country.
He indicated the policy will be implemented and managed efficiently.
“We will make it efficient and sustainable, so the NPP folks are arguing that the government will use students loans to cater for that policy but it is not so. You don’t use students loan to finance your level 100 fees because once you gain admission as a level 100 student, you have to report in short period and that will not give one the luxury to access that loan,” he explained.
Asked by host Kwame Minkah how a future NDC government will fund the policy, Otokunor said there are a lot of sources, including the GETFund to take care of the programme.
“Why did we [the NDC] establish the GETFund?..We [the NDC] will de-collaterise the GETFund. We have made a deep commitment that we will de-collateralise the GETFund. Remember that is Ghana’s education that is being toyed with.”
He continued to argue that despite the IMF conditionalities, a future NDC government will re-negotiate the terms and get back the Fund on its original track.
“Anybody who is sitting at the table, when you make a case, they’ll find a reason to agree.”
He said if the government had not collateralised the GETFund for loans, the country’s education will not be messy as been witnessed.
