By Adiza Bawa & Jacob Aggrey
Some graduate students not privileged to pass through the free education system have cautioned the government to focus more on making Free Education and Digitalization more accessible and convenient for Ghanaians after Dr. Mahmoud Bawumia addressed the nation at the Millenium City, Kasoa Yesukrom on April 7, 2022.
The Vice President’s comments on Free education and the Digitalization on the banking systems had many people gnashing their teeth to voice out their thoughts on the issue.
According to the Graduate Students GBC News spoke with, the government is ”over- politicizing their achievements”.
Vice President Bawumia said Ghanaians, especially students are now able to get affordable education and bank from the comfort of their homes because of the efforts on Digitalization by the Nana Akufo Addo government.
To some of the graduates who spoke with GBC News, it is the duty of government to provide for those they govern and not to boast over their exploits
“Digitalization is good. It is a good initiative but that is why we voted them in power to change things in the economy so that we can have freeways to let things come by. I don’t think it must be politicized”.
They classified Free Education as a good initiative but needed more room for improvement.
“I don’t think he should put more emphasis on free education. Even with their achievements, there are still lope holes. There are so many children not having money to go to school toppled with the increase in prices of goods and services. It is making things even hard for parents. He should not overhype the free SHS and focus more on the loopholes”, one person opined.
” I can’t say it is 100% affordable and 100% free because we all know in Ghana here there is nothing free. It comes with complications. The government has tried its best to assist the parents, but things in the market are also high. Each and everything is being increased”.
“I don’t think it made the lives of students easy. Maybe it took pressure from the parents themselves but as for students it didn’t. They had to adjust to a new learning system, gold trucks, reshuffling”.
On the digitization system, some applauded the government saying it has made life easier and simpler for the average Ghanaian while others noted that it was bound to happen without their help.
” With the introduction of the new banking system, Bawumia to some extent is telling the truth. My attitude has changed. I can be in my room, relaxed and within seconds buy a scratch card online saving energy and time”.
”I think they have made an improvement in digitalization. People had to move into offices to initiate these transactions. The NPP has enhanced it. Now people sit in the comfort of their homes and effect these transactions. I think it is in the proper direction. Now people can save time”.
” I wouldn’t give all the credit to them. Regardless of what influence they had, we would have still done it. With our generation, we are more in debt with trying the whole online and digitalization. Giving the credit to them I like. A child doing something and the parent taking all the credit and glory because they gave birth to the kid”, another student asserted.
