The Member of Parliament for Cape Coast North, Dr Kwamena Minta Nyarku, has supported 200 fresh Senior High School (SHS) students with GH¢500 each under his 2026 EduSupport programme.
The event was held on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at GNAT Hall (Bonkus) in Cape Coast.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines, Dr Minta Nyarku, popularly known as Ragga, said the initiative was aimed at helping students transitioning to senior high school with essential items they need to thrive. He said the annual exercise formed part of his vision for the constituency and was intended to provide financial relief to parents whose wards had gained admission to second-cycle institutions across the country.
“I know parents would have purchased mattresses, chop boxes and other items for their children,” he said, adding that the gesture was to support parents in providing other essentials, including books.
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He said the scheme had grown over the years, from 100 beneficiaries to 180 last year and 200 this year, with each beneficiary receiving GH¢500 this year.
Addressing the students, Dr Minta Nyarku said drug abuse among the youth was rising. He used the occasion to admonish them to stay away from drugs and to abide by the rules governing their respective schools. He further counselled them to be studious, saying this would justify the investment and commitment made toward their educational pursuits.
“Please be careful of bad company and resist the temptation of peer pressure,” he advised. “Focus on your studies and make all of us proud.”
Speaking particularly to the female students, Ragga said Cape Coast leads the region in teenage pregnancy. “We are leading in teenage pregnancy in the region,” he said, describing the situation as unacceptable. He encouraged them to focus on their education, adding that after schooling, by God’s grace, they could settle down with a good man.
Dr Minta Nyarku also noted that the Central Region leads in HIV/AIDS prevalence. He said it was therefore important for students to concentrate on their studies and avoid unhealthy sexual behaviours.
On parental responsibility, he commended parents for their efforts in developing future human resources for the region and the country. He urged them to monitor and counsel their children to become responsible citizens.
Some beneficiaries who spoke to journalists thanked the MP for his continued support for SHS freshers. “Some of us never expected this, and we are very delighted,” one student said. Another said, “We ask God to bless him and thank him for his pep talk and financial support.”
Source By DC Kwame Kwakye
