![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/xMeet-the-Press-45-696x464.jpg.pagespeed.ic.b83V-YthFd.jpg\" "\\"Meet")
<\/a><\/div>\nPresident Akufo-Addo yesterday had his first encounter with the Ghanaian media after taking office as president, with a barrage of questions fired at him.<\/p>\n
He took time to walk the journalists through some of the measures he and his government have been putting in place to restore the country to normalcy after what he called a shocking revelation about the state of affairs.<\/p>\n
After giving an introductory speech which lasted for almost 35 minutes, addressing a wide range of issues from the economy, illegal mining, security, rule of law, governance, agricultural, infrastructural development and many more, the man availed himself for questions.<\/p>\n
President Akufo-Addo arrived at 12 midday prompt as announced, leaving many journalists who came late, locked outside, even though the hall was filled to capacity and by 2:30 pm the programme was over with a cocktail and exchange of felicitations.<\/p>\n
A lot of journalists couldn\u2019t have the chance to ask questions.<\/p>\n
In attendance were some senior journalists \u2013 including one of his old friends who has for some time now become an ardent critic of his party \u2013 Kwesi Pratt Jnr; President of the Ghana Journalists\u2019 Association (GJA), Affail Monney, Egbert Faibille Jnr, and members of the presidential press corps, among others.<\/p>\n
Issue<\/b><\/p>\n
The president, however, did not take it lightly when a journalist created the impression as though he (president) had abandoned the idea of implementing the \u2018Free Senior High School\u2019 policy \u2013 one of his major flagship programmes \u2013 which he had campaigned on during the 2016 electioneering campaign that saw him winning the election massively.<\/p>\n
The journalist\u2019s reasoning was that once Nana Addo did not mention it in his introductory remarks, it sought to give credence to suggestions that the government might not implement the policy to the letter and also about cut-off point.<\/p>\n
But President Akufo-Addo said that was far from right because the modalities for introducing the policy had been spelt out in a series of engagements by the sector minister, including the setting up of a secretariat and an implementation committee to that effect.<\/p>\n
He said there is a clear roadmap for the implementation of the policy and that all students admitted to public schools will benefit from it.<\/p>\n
He therefore expressed surprise when the journalist sought to create the impression as though the government was devising means to cut off some students from benefiting from the policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reason why there is no mention about it here today is not because it\u2019s been abandoned; on the contrary, it is a very high priority,\u201d he rebuffed.<\/p>\n
Justification<\/b><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/adomonline.com\/ghana-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Meet-the-Press-45.jpg\" "\\"Meet")
<\/a><\/div>\n