By Kizito CUDJOE, Sefwi Wiawso
The Vice President, and New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate for the upcoming elections, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has announced plans to provide free tertiary education for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
The NPP flagbearer, in an encounter with the clergy in Sefwi Wiawso, in the Western North Region, on Friday, said as part of a comprehensive programme for persons with disabilities, his government, when given power, will offer all persons with disabilities free access to tertiary education.
Dr. Bawumia said “I believe that persons with disabilities, we need to support them a bit more.”
He noted that “We are giving scholarships to all manner of people but I want to dedicate some of the money from Scholarship Secretariat and Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to provide free tertiary education, both tuition and accommodation to all persons with disabilities, who will make it into the universities so that they can all benefit from that,” he added.
Dr. Bawumia stressed that, personally, he is committed to supporting vulnerable members of society because “it gives him joy.”
He added that as Patron of Lepers Aid Ghana, he has been engaged in lots of activities supporting the vulnerable, and his government will prioritize broader support for persons with disabilities and vulnerable members of society.
Dr. Bawumia’s pledge to provide free tertiary education for Persons with Disabilities aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) by promoting inclusive and equitable access to education for all, ensuring that no one is left behind.
The meeting with the clergy forms part of the Vice President’s campaign tour forms part of his presidential campaign for the December 7 general elections.
Dr. Bawumia and his campaign team are promising an issue-based campaign, one that will focus on cogent, practical, and tailor-made ideas to deal with issues that are most dear to the Ghanaian people.
The Vice President and his campaign team are scheduled to visit all 16 regions over the next month in this first round of campaigning.
On his rounds, he is expected to meet with a wide range of stakeholders, including traditional leaders, the clergy, the youth, traders, drivers, farmers, students and visit businesses, including marketplaces to interact with both traders and consumers.
The candidate will engage the media, hold town hall meetings and continue with his regular stakeholder engagements with the Ghanaian people.
