The Member of Parliament for Gushegu Constituency in the Northern Region, Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli has disbursed funds to about 130 students obtaining tertiary education to pay their school fees.
Some of the beneficiaries received as much as 50 percent of the total fees to enable them further their education without the financial burden as hindrance.
The MP who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Transport in his address stated the gesture is in fulfillment of his campaign commitment contained in his 2020 manifesto to use half of his salary to support the payment of school fees of tertiary students in the constituency.
“Last year a salary of a Member of Parliament I think it was about GHS150,000 or so for the whole year. And last year I paid about GHS173, 000, so that means the entire salary plus more was used to pay fees; so it means I don’t have a salary.”
However, the lawmaker said he was motivated to doing it and explained that: “When Rita Tani Iddi was the DCE for Gushegu, I was then at the University together with Hon Abukari Mahama [he was our rep, our chair more or less] so he used to engage with the assembly on our behalf and we used to get support from the assembly. I was a student before she became DCE, I wasn’t getting the support and when she became DCE we were getting the support, later she became MP and that’s almost 20years down the line and today I’m standing before you as the MP.”
“What it means is that there are several of you who will become MPs, DCEs and Ministers one day Insha Allah. So I am doing this as a way fulfilling my campaign pledged but it is also a duty on those of us who have received support in the past to learn how to support even more than we were given” he added.
The Gushegu legislator noted this should be a challenge to the beneficiaries to do more in the future when they take up the mantle of leadership in the municipality.
“I am doing almost 130 students today but I am hoping that one day when you stand here you will be able to do 400 or 500 students.”
Requirement
The beneficiaries were only required to provide their admission letters and voters’ identification card in order to prove they are registered voters in the constituency because it is a scholarship program solely for students from Gushegu.
Performance
The Gushegu MP urged the beneficiaries to help organize extra-classes for their young siblings still in basic schools and senior high.
The lawmaker was very worried about the performance of students who sat for this year’s WASSCE and WAEC examination.
“Again WASSCE results has been released, Gushegu SHS, do you know what we got? Do you know the percent of those who passed? Last time out of over 700 students, only one or two people passed, it hasn’t changed; it’s the same but why?
Mr. Tampuli said the situation is not just peculiar to only Gushegu but the entire northern region. He observed some students engaged in betting, internet scam, bleaching and living some flamboyant lifestyles rather than concentrating on their studies.
The legislator further blamed this on the failure of parents and guardians to give proper guidance to the teenagers wondering how comes a parent would be indoors at night and the ward gallivanting on the streets.
