Akwasi Addai aka ‘Odike’, presidential candidate of the United Progressive Party (UPP)
The presidential candidate of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Adai, popularly called Odike, has criticized the construction of community-day Senior High School (SHS) across the country by the current Mahama administration.
According to him, the construction of community-day SHS by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration would not improve the quality of education in the country, saying “it is waste of money.”
Odike therefore stated that he would turn the community-day SHS into resource centers and workshops to boost the practical work of Junior High School (JHS) students if elected as president, this year.
Speaking during the campaign launch of the UPP in Kumasi, he said Ghana was not progressing because the country’s education system is mainly theory-based without room for practical work which can accelerate the socio-economic development of the country.
According to him, parents and guardians spend more money on day students as compared to those in boarding houses.
Odike, who has been very critical of the NDC administration lately, said his administration would industrialize the country to tackle abject poverty in the country and improve the lives of the masses.
He stated that his government would import machines that would be leased to players in the private sector to add value to some cash crops and mineral resources so as to revive the ailing economy.
Odike disclosed that he would introduce the Urban Cocoa Planting Programme, which would see cocoa trees being planted along highways and other parts of the country to enhance cocoa production.
The UPP leader said he would ensure that MMDCEs are elected into office by the local people, stressing that this policy would help reduce corruption in the assemblies by 50 percent.
According to Odike, police personnel would also be made to vote for one of the top policemen as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to help stop unnecessary political influence.
The UPP presidential candidate further said that the national capital would be moved from Accra, which is currently congested, to the Brong Ahafo region, stressing that he would properly steer the affairs of the country.
From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi