One of the government’s social intervention programme that touches the heart of the people in the three regions of the north, especially the Upper East Region is Nana Addo’s Free Senior High School Policy.
The free SHS is to provide opportunity for all to have access to education, at the SHS level. There are still many parents who cannot afford for their children’s education especially in most rural communities in Ghana.
This was disclosed by the Upper East Regional Minister, Paulina Patience Abayage, during an interaction with the media in Bolgatanga.
The interaction was to familiarized herself with the media and also announce her plans to develop the region as she takes the mantle of leadership as the first female to ascent the high office as the Upper East Region Minister.
In a retrospective look, the Regional Minister re-countered how she suffered during her school days with her poor parents saying the President Nana Addo’s Free Senior High School policy is a panacea for the less privilege and brilliant children in the various communities to have secondary school education.
Ms. Abayage said her appointment by President Nana Addo is simply, asking her to come home as a daughter of the soil, help champion his vision of creating an optimistic self-confident and prosperous nation and for that matter, the rapid development of the Upper East Region.
She cited the numerous social interventions of the government such as One-Village One-Dam, One-District One-Factory policy among others, linking the policy up to the defunct Meat and the Tomato Factories as against the irrigations system for One-Dam, One-Village.
She indicated that, there is also a proposal by Professor Miller for a vegetable processing plant to be established.
These laudable ideas, she added will help improve the lives of the people of the Upper East Region since the weather, soils and rainfall patterns are not the best.
Ms. Abayage stressed that, she is taking a critical look into all the ongoing development projects in the region and will move with the speed of wind to see their completion.
She urged the media to give her their full support since she cannot do it all alone saying the media plays a crucial role when it comes to nation building and cautioned the media to be circumspect in their reportage.
She stated that, continuously chinning out only the negative stories will not help us as a region. Ms Abayage said, as a home based woman, she is very conversant with the nook and cranny of the region and will leave no stone unturned by executing her duties as expected.
Ms. Abayage gave more insight of her desire to develop the region.
Story by: GBC’s Emmanuel Akayeti
