Bawumia promises Zongos 16 new Senior High Schools in Akufo-Addo’s second-term

The Akufo-led government will construct 16 Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the next term of office, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has said.

“Government is more determined and committed to uplifting education in Zongo communities, and as a result, the president has decided that his next term of office, with the Zongo Development Fund and the Ministry of Education, we will build 16 model Senior Secondary Schools in Zongo communities in each of the 16 regions in Ghana,” Dr Bawumia said in his speech at this year’s Eid-ul-Adha celebration by Muslims on Friday, July 31.

He extolled the performance of his government in addressing the developmental needs of Muslim communities in Ghana as he made the promise.

Dr Bawumia said the government had pursued an aggressive agenda of inclusion for marginalised people from Muslim communities.

Through the government’s flagship Free Senior High School (SHS) programme and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiatives, he said education had been expanded to Zongo folks.

Consequently, he stated that “no Zongo child has an excuse not to go to school”.

Dr Bawumia disclosed that the government had increased scholarship disbursement by 70% and digitised the application process.

The online application is aimed at addressing favouritism that has marked the award of financial support in past years.

Forty (40) brilliant but needy students from Zongo’s and inner cities have been sponsored to study medicine in Cuba.

He said the Zongo Development Fund and the Ministry of Inner-City and Zongo Development had spearheaded infrastructure and Zongo communities will be catered for in subsequent budgets of the country.

Ahead of the 2020 elections, Dr Bawumia has called on Muslim youth to emulate the peaceful attributes of the Chief Imam and avoid being used as “pawns for violence.”

He said no matter their political affiliation, brotherly love must reign supreme and the 2020 polls should not be marked to acts of violence by Zongo folks.