Deputy Campaign Coordinator for the President, Dr.
Omane Boamah, has disclosed that some Members of Parliament of the New
Patriotic Party (NPP) made a pressing demand on the government to incorporate
schools in their constituencies in the list of beneficiaries of the free laptop
project initiated under the Mahama-Mills administration.
He therefore wondered why the NPP would downplay
the project when they have benefited from the government’s initiative.
According to him, the Presidential candidate of the
New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, sought to discredit the
initiative when he met some students at the University of Ghana to canvass
their support.
Speaking to the students, Nana Addo described the
project as one laptop per NDC supporter revealing that there were
inconsistencies in the accuracy of the project.
“We have been told about thousands of laptops being
distributed all over Ghana. It turns out that boys’ names are found to be in
girls’ schools list whilst one institution has come out to say that none of the
names against their school list belongs to any enrolled student. On the
university campuses at least it would appear the distribution of the laptops
has its proper name- one laptop per NDC supporter.” he noted.
Though Dr. Omane Boamah in his declaration withheld
the names of the NPP Members of Parliament whose constituencies have benefited
from free laptop project, he however stressed that Nana Addo’s remarks were
borne out of desperation for power.
He believed Nana Addo was oblivious of the facts
and therefore demanded he renders an apology to the government and the
benefiaciaries.
He retorted that “If he finds out that some of
these Members of Parliament are even from his own party, the New Patriotic
Party, will be ready to withdraw his statement and apologize not just to
government but to his own MPs and also to the students, the schools that have
been benefiting from these laptops?”
Dr. Omane Boamah, who doubles as a Deputy Sports
Minister, also disclosed that some inmates at the Borstal Institute for
juvenile, currently called the Senior Correctional Centre of the Ghana Prisons
Service have been beneficiaries of the project and so, took a swipe at Nana
Addo for his description of the project.
“We should raise the political discourse higher
than the level Nana Addo is taking this political discourse. It begins with
all=die-be-die and the desperation contains and he’s taken it to every realm.
It is not helping this country… we should be discussing how well we can bridge
the digital divide and not defacing the political discourse like he is doing.”
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of
Pentecost University, Emmanuel Kyei has challenged a publication by government
in the Times Newspaper which stated that some students in the university had
benefited from the project.
Dr. Omane Boamah in reply indicated that there was
a mix up with the publication, explaining that the list should have been for the
Presbyterian University.
He added that the Ministry of information has
issued a release to this effect to rectify the anomaly.
He however resolved that government is committed to
solving the digital challenges in the country.
Source: Adu Gyamfi Ameyaw
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