Free SHS: Mahama accuses Akufo-Addo of misinformation

Former President John Mahama has accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of “disinformation” in an attempt to score cheap political gains over his recent comments on the free senior high school policy.

A statement issued yesterday by the Mahama 2020 Campaign Team and signed by its spokesperson, James Agyenim Boateng, said the President was seeking to twist Mr Mahama’s comment to serve himself.

“The John Mahama 2020 Campaign Team has become aware of a deliberate campaign of disinformation led by President Nana Akufo-Addo following comments by former President John Dramani Mahama that he will convene a stakeholders forum to address the challenges facing the implementation of the Free Senior High School programme”.

It went on to add that the comments by the former president were consistent with the views expressed by Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, on the free SHS policy.

According to the statement “at no point during former President Mahama’s address to the delegates in Cape Coast North constituency in the Central Region last week did he mention that he would collapse the Free SHS programme.

That conclusion by President Akufo-Addo, the statement added, was regrettable.

“It is important to point out that “collapse” is not a synonym for “review” and it is therefore mind-boggling that President Akufo-Addo could come to that conclusion,” the statement clarified.

To this end, the statement posited that Mr Mahama was deeply committed to the pursuit of high quality secondary education and will spare no effort in making Ghanaian students as competitive as students from elsewhere on the continent and beyond when he wins the 2020 election.



It would be recalled that President Akufo-Addo in reacting to Mr. Mahama’s assertion that he will review the policy and the corresponding double track system if he wins power, said the stance of his predecessor has sent shivers don the spines of Ghanaian over the policy.

“I am alarmed by this concept of review. This is because, anytime our political opponents try anything of this sort, it leads the policy in question into coma. We all remember the NHIS one-term premium payment review pledge. Not only did the review not materialize, but they also succeeded in degrading the policy,” the President bemoaned.



The President was reported to have continued: “I honestly suspect reviewing the Free SHS policy means collapsing it. But, I doubt the Ghanaian people will allow this brilliant policy to be collapsed by anyone.”