Free SHS policy speech writers are ‘enemies’ of Akufo-Addo - Joseph Yamin

The former Deputy Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Joseph Yamin has lashed out at speech writers of Akufo-Addo’s government free Senior High School (SHS) policy describing them as enemies of the President.

According to him, the drafters of the much talked about free SHS policy to be implemented by the government in public schools in September 2017 did a disservice to the president fearing doom for the government.

Speaking with Lantam Papanko host of Ultimate Breakfast Show, Mr Yamin envisaged that the free SHS policy will cause the New Patriotic Party (NPP’s) defeat in 2020 elections doubting the sustenance of the policy.

‘I have made this statement before that whoever wrote that free SHS Policy speech for Nana Addo is his biggest enemy and that will cause the defeat of the NPP in 2020 elections, I am telling you, because Nana Addo can’t do it. I have been in government before. Those that wrote the speech for him have done him more disservice. Free SHS and they went as far as itemising it and telling us what he is going to introduce, its even more than the quantum we are putting on it. How much is admission, feeding fees today?. Each child in boarding is charged GHC5.00 for feeding, so the three months the child will stay in school will be GHC450.00. How many people attend boarding schools in our country. Day students are also going to be fed free. My brother how is this going to be possible, come on,’ he expressed pessimism.

He stated that majority of Ghanaians who have so much hopes in the government to change the fortunes of the country will be disappointed after the budget is read on Thursday by the finance minister Ken Ofori Atta in Parliament.

He said he is not expecting anything new from the budget yet to be read as he has heard lots from successive finance ministers saying it is not a budget of hope.

The former Ashanti regional secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) doubted if the government has money to fund all its promised policies.

‘I have listened to political animals and social media commentators, they say the budget is a budget of hope, because there is free SHS, and government is going to re-introduce teacher training allowances. I would want to hear the minister talk about the quantum and how they are going to pay. Nana Addo fell short to tell us how they are going to maintain the number and the quota,’ he said.