I'll fix broken free SHS – Mahama says parents paying more now than 'fee regime'

Former President John Mahama has said he will fix the free senior high school (SHS) programme if he wins the 2024 presidential election.

Speaking at a campaign tour in Kongo in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region, Mr Mahama who is seeking a comeback, said the current form of the free SHS programme is appalling and counterproductive.

In his view, it is rather encumbering students and parents instead of its intended purpose of providing some academic and financial respite.

“Free SHS is not working properly," he told the delegates on his tour, explaining that neither the parents nor students are reaping its fruits.

"I can tell you today that the money we are spending on our children to go to school is far more than when we used to pay school fees," Mr Mahama said.

“We are going to repair the free SHS and make it better and create the situation that when school reopens, all the children will go together and when they vacate they all come home together.”

He also repeated an earlier call for the resignation of Health Minister Kweku Agyemang-Manu over the "failed" national health insurance scheme.

“The NHIL is completely destroyed. The minister himself said there is no benefit to the NHIL card and that when he goes to the hospital, he pays cash and that was why I said he should resign," Mahama said.

He promised: "NDC is coming to make it better.”