The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr Clement Apaak, has reiterated the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party’s commitment to delivering its campaign promise of providing free tuition for first-year students in public tertiary institutions across Ghana.
The free tuition initiative was a key highlight of the NDC’s 2024 campaign, designed to ease the financial burden on students entering higher education.
In an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Dr Apaak reassured Ghanaians of the party's determination to implement the policy, addressing concerns from some stakeholders about its feasibility.
“John Dramani Mahama and the NDC campaigned vehemently, and if for nothing at all, the magnitude of the NDC’s victory in terms of parliamentary seats and the gap between our candidate, now President, and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the former Vice President, should be a testament that this, among many other worthy and accepted policies, accounted for the overwhelming support we have received," Dr Apaak stated.
“So, we intend to proceed with the promise made by John Dramani Mahama and the NDC to support students in tertiary institutions with their fees,” he added.
Dr Apaak clarified that participation in the free tuition programme would not be compulsory, allowing those uninterested in the initiative to opt out.
“That is an opinion. In any case, it is not going to be by compulsion. If there are persons who feel that they don’t need it and would not want to be beneficiaries of this arrangement, they are free to opt-out. But as far as this is a manifesto promise made by John Mahama and the NDC to the people of Ghana, based on which we are now in government, we intend to carry it through,” he emphasised.