I was a palm wine tapper -Balado

From Issah Alhassan, Kumasi

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ahafo-Ano South Constituency, Stephen Kwaku Balado Manu, has made chilling revelations about how his life would have been in the mud, had it not been for education.

Balado said he probably would have been a poor palm wine tapper in the village had it not been the fact that he benefited from education.

Building a strong argument in support of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s free Senior High School (SHS) policy, the NPP legislator said life almost became impossible for him at a point in time, but he was, however, fortunate to have had access to education, making him what he was today.

“If you look at my Curriculum Vitae in 1972, you may find a professional palm wine tapper, because that was my job,” he said, amidst cheers and clapping from the crowd which thronged the Georgia Conference Hall to participate in the forum.

Describing political opponents opposing the free SHS as people with small minds, Balado said it had always been the habit of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to oppose policies and programmes that bring total change to the lives of Ghanaians.

“I remember when ex-President Kufuor announced the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme, we all saw how the NDC mocked us and said it could not be done; you all witnessed the opposition that greeted our discovery of oil at the Jubilee Field, when NDC MPs told the whole country the oil was a palm oil, but today, they are the people enjoying them most,” he said.

Balado further emphasised governance and political leadership in modern days was for big dreamers, stressing that there was no place for small minds like that of the NDC.

The MP received massive applause when he quoted certain tales from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth to illustrate the behaviour of the NDC, and the fact that they lacked ambition and visionary leadership.

The Ahafo-Ano South MP noted with regret that some leading members of the ruling party, who benefited from free education, are now opposing the policy that would offer the opportunity for the less endowed to also have the chance to be educated.

 

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