“The Ghanaian child has a right to education and you also have the responsibility of learning.”

She urged the children to stop bullying each other and make their schools a happy place in order to better fulfil their potential. Ms Otiko Djaba said this when she monitored the implementation process of the ‘Free SHS’ at the Accra Girls Senior High School (SHS) on Thursday.

About 600 girls of the first group of beneficiaries of the ‘Free SHS’ across the country have been enrolled into the Accra Girls SHS. “Some people said it cannot happen and it will never happen, but by the grace of God it has happened and it is such a joyous occasion.”

She urged the girls to aim high in order to fulfil their destiny and to say no to teenage pregnancy, no to child marriage and no to dropping out of school. “I want to take your childhood seriously and enjoy it because every child of Ghana deserves the right to be happy, to be loved and to progress,” the Gender Minister.

She said with the one-district-one-factory and the one-village-one-dam flagship initiatives of President Akufo Addo Government “we need you to come and operate all these factories, do the researches and be the doctors, presidents, teachers and soldiers.” Ms Otiko Djaba said the destiny of Ghana lies in education and the dream of our forefathers is being materialised here.

Ghana has signed on to the right to education by the Children’s Act of 1998 clause 568 which says that every Ghanaian child of school going age must be in school “We have also signed onto the Free Compulsory Basic Education since 1992, which was not being well implemented, but with this initiative, parents will no longer be burdened at least for this first year and then we can move as we expand the economy and grow it to ensure that we capture all our children.”

“Who knows, as the economy grows we might even get free education at the tertiary level for Ghanaians.” She said all the promises made by President Akufo Addo-led New Patriotic Party Government will come to pass, adding that, “all we need to do is to believe in Ghana and believe in ourselves.”