Elections
Free SHS Will Be the Game-Changer in 2024 Election – Kofi Tonto
With millions of students benefiting from the Free SHS program, the NPP believes it has secured the vote of Ghana's parents
- 5.7 million students have benefited from Free SHS
- The NPP's policies, especially Free SHS, are increasingly seen as a major factor in winning over parent voters
- Investing in education leads to significant economic benefits
Kofi Tonto, an aide to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate, believes that parents whose children have benefited from the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy will ultimately decide the outcome of the 2024 general elections.
In an interview on the Ghana Se Sen Morning Show on Lawson TV/Radio, Tonto emphasized that while the NPP has traditionally been seen as a party for the middle class, it is now positioning itself as the party of parents.
He argued that the Free SHS initiative, which has positively impacted millions of Ghanaian families, will be a decisive factor in the upcoming polls.
“Look. Tanko, when you’re in Accra, it feels like you’re in a ‘new’ Ghana, but when you travel to other parts of the country, it’s a different story. My boss and I have traveled around the country about four times, and we’ve noticed that people are aware of the hardships, but let me tell you something important. In 1957, when Ghana gained independence, the population was just 5 million. By the 2023 academic year, 5.7 million children had benefitted from the Free SHS policy. By the end of this academic year, we expect that number to rise to 6.5 million. What this means is that Akufo-Addo’s one policy has already helped more people than the entire population of Ghana back when we gained independence,” he explained to Kwame Tanko.
Tonto also stressed the critical role education plays in a nation’s economic growth, citing studies that show countries investing in education see their economies triple in size.
He believes that parents, who care deeply about the future of their children, will recognize the importance of this policy and vote accordingly.
With such widespread support for Free SHS, Tonto expressed confidence that the NPP will emerge victorious in the 2024 elections.
