Students, Parents and "Kookoase nkuraasefo3" are voting Nana Akuffo-Addo and NPP.
Both a strong intuition and a dream have obliged me to reveal to the Ghanaian public two sad stories that took place many years ago. The narration of these stories, both of which are true and did actually occur to the dismay of many, will convince the doubting Thomases to go along with Nana Akuffo-Addo's free Senior High School educational policy.
The doubting Thomases are the "can't do, but will not let you do" NDC government, members and party. To the NDC and their sympathisers with all those they intend deceiving to get them vote for NDC in the upcoming December 7, 2012 election, I have a message for you. I entreat you to pause, ponder over the following true stories day and night, then take a life changing decision.
In the mid to late 1960s, a relative of mine (Yaw Amoako) was a student at Kumawu Tweneboah Koduah Secondary School. Yaw comes from Asiampa in the Juaben traditional Council Area. He matrilineally originates from Kumawu Abotanso. His uncle was simultaneously taking care of his Secondary school education and that of his senior brother (Kwadwo Asare). Their uncle who was a cocoa farmer was resident in Mim in the Brong-Ahafo Region. This uncle passed (died) when Kwadwo Asare was in Secondary School Form Four and Yaw Amoako in Form Three. At that time the Headmaster of the School was one Alan Cole (White British), known in Kumawu as Kwasi Cole. Mr. Cole is a naturalised Ghanaian from Kumawu for the past forty to fifty years.
When Yaw and Kwadwo's uncle died, there was no one financially able from either his dad or mum's side to foot their Secondary school bill. Their Dad (Nana Yaw Donkor), from my extended family was financially handicapped and could never raise enough money to pay their school fees tried as he did. The Headmaster of the School suspended Yaw Amoako for a month. He returned to school only to be sacked by Alan Cole because he was two terms in arrears of school fees. The family agreed it was better they struggle to maintain one of them in school rather than letting both forfeit Secondary School education. Poor farmers as they were, they struggled to keep Kwadwo Asare in school. Even though Yaw Amoako was academically brilliant, as later attested to by a schoolmate called "Lawyer", now a PhD holder, he had to forgo his education because of inability to pay school fees. He later inherited his uncle and has since been living on the cocoa farm in Mim but never cease weeping over his sad fate.
I vividly remember Senior Lawyer once asking me when we met in Juaben, his hometown. "There was once a very brilliant senior from Asiampa at Tweneboah Koduah Secondary School. He quit school without telling anyone why. I wonder why he did that. Where is he now?" I could honestly not bring myself to explain the circumstances that led to Yaw leaving the school even though, I was fully conversant with the circumstances. I am now able to tell the whole world why. It was down to outright poverty. Yaw Amoako is about sixty-six years old now. If there were a universal free Secondary school education then, Yaw would now be a great person working elsewhere than stuck on the farm.
My own late stepbrother (Kwaku Osei), from Kumawu Ananangya attended Woraso elementary school. The Ghana Education Service awarded him a distinction in his Middle School Leaving Certificate examination taken in 1970. He was so brilliant that if my father or any family member had had sufficient money to put him through further higher education, my brother would be highly placed in the nation's public sector by now, and might not have succumbed to a premature death. When he felt all was lost, he saw a flickering hope in taking after "galamsey" (small-scale mining).The police and other corrupt individuals wishing to exact bribe from him often arrested and molested him. The problems he went through under the hands of other fellow but malevolent "galamsey" colleagues, led to his sudden death.
If there were a free Secondary School education, I would today be narrating both cited instances in a different, but joyous manner. As there was none, here I am sitting, recounting the stories with tears streaming down my cheeks.
Why should we sit on the fence for the NDC to deny us free Secondary School education because of their selfish interests and parochial mindedness? Those telling you Nana Akuffo-Addo's free Senior High School education is not feasible let alone being implementable, are all hypocrite liars. These are the very people stealing Ghana's money to send their wards abroad or to give them better private school education in Ghana. These are the very people that enjoyed free education in the Northern part of Ghana of which their relatives and friends continue to enjoy since the days of Ex-President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Why do you as a poor person allow the NDC folks to belittle you by playing on your intelligence? Do you not want your children to hold responsible positions in Ghana or in other parts of the world? It is only through education that your children can realise any such better dreams.
I therefore call on you students, parents, cocoa farmers and all other logically thinking Ghanaians to avail yourselves of the unique opportunity of free Secondary High School education Nana Akuffo-Addo is presenting to you. Do not allow the NDC to use lies to take this one-off opportunity from you. They are only full of lies and best at lying. If Nana's educational policy is not possible as they claim, what alternative are they proposing? The money they continue to dish out to themselves in what they call judgment debt payments can go a long way to help educate the youth of Ghana free.
I have a message for Ghanaians in the coming days and weeks. I shall be on the ground campaigning for Nana Akuffo-Addo. God has given me the message of which the two instances cited above are included.
Ghanaians, please let us wise up.
Rockson Adofo