Free SHS: Engaging students in secret video is criminal - Razak Opoku to NDC

The Founder and President of Concerned Voters Movement (CVM), Razak Kojo Opoku has blasted the members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for secretly recording innocent students to criticize the Free SHS implementation.

Mr. Joshua Akamba, who was on a tour of the Upper East Region as part of his campaign for the National Organizer position of the NDC, was seen interacting with students of Tempane Senior High School, in a video which has gone viral on various social media platforms.

The video captured the students complaining bitterly to Mr. Joshua Akamba about their living conditions in the school, the congestion in the various dormitories leading to the outbreak of bed buds and bemoaned the reckless nature in which the noble free Senior High School programme is being implemented by the Akuffo Addo led government.

Many stalwarts of the governing New Patriotic Party, including Mr Henry Nana Boakye, Sammi Awuku and Hon Joseph Kpemka chastised the NDC Organizer for inciting the students against the President threatened to deal with the Headmaster of the school.

The Headmaster of the school has since been suspended, with Mr Joshua Akamba haven been invited by the Tempane Police CID.

But addressing delegates in Garu in the Upper East Region last week, Mr. Mahama urged the government to fix the problems in the High schools and stop intimidating political opponents.

He said: “I remember when NDC was in government, NDC is a tolerant party and we believe in democracy and we don’t see why we should hinder anybody from speaking the truth".

“So, if Akamba did not go to the school, does it mean the school is not congested? Does it mean bedbugs are not chewing the children? They are, and so what he did was to bring it to the attention of the government, and so what you should do is, rather than invite Akamba and interdict the headmaster, do something about the conditions in the school."

“When we were in government, many NPP officials went to the schools and openly campaigned and yet we didn’t find anything wrong with it. We didn’t do anything, we didn’t interdict headmasters and the point is, if we want, all of us can go to those schools [so that you] come and arrest all NDC members. If we want, I can go to a school, come and arrest me. Do something about the condition in the school and stop intimidating headmasters and stop inviting political opponents for investigations.” Mr Mahama added.

But in a statement signed by the CVM boss and copied to GhanaWeb indicated "The implementation of the flagship and top-notch policy of Free SHS has come under serious attack and unnecessary criticism from the Campaign Team of John Mahama and political neophytes such as Joshua Akamba, Chief Biney, Sammy Gyamfi and other members of the NDC".

The statement added, "The NDC has never appreciated any pro-poor policies which have the potential to bring about empowerment and enlightenment to the good people of Ghana".

Within this month some NDC members such as Joshua Akamba, Chief Biney, and Sammy Gyamfi were caught in videos engaging some SHS students in the Northern part of Ghana speaking against the Free SHS implementation.

With these videos, Razak Opoku has opined that the students seeing in the videos are innocent children and according to him the NDC members secretly recorded them and described it as a criminal in nature.

"These innocent school children are secretly videotaped and recorded by the 'evil agents' of John Mahama for mischievous purposes without the knowledge and consent of these school children, and that act of secretly videotaping and recording these innocent school children is criminal in nature", he emphasized.

The statement added "The NDC are using the recorded video and audio to blackmail these school children and if not stopped can affect the future lives of these innocent school children".

The statement, he, therefore, urged parents to take good care of their children at the various SHSs across the country most especially the girls among them so that they do not become vulnerable to the evil agenda of the NDC.

"Parents should also take good care of their children at the Senior High Schools especially the girls so that they do not become vulnerable and victims to the evil plans of the NDC and John Mahama", he advised.

The statement urged the GES "I would like to urge the Ghana Education Service and Headteachers to strictly enforced and adhere to the rules, regulations and Code of Conduct governing the day-to-day administration and management of the Senior High Schools in the country".

Below is the full statement

IT IS TOO LATE TO SABOTAGE THE FLAGSHIP FREE SHS POLICY - RAZAK OPOKU

The implementation of the flagship and top-notch policy of Free SHS has come under serious attack and unnecessary criticism from the Campaign Team of John Mahama and political neophytes such as Joshua Akamba, Chief Biney, Sammy Gyamfi and other members of the NDC.

The NDC has never appreciated any pro-poor policies which have the potential to bring about empowerment and enlightenment to the good people of Ghana.

Free SHS Policy is aimed at human resource development, transformation and empowerment, serving as a catalyst for the future generation to address the various socioeconomic and developmental challenges facing this country.

There are some prevailing challenges facing the Free SHS Policy but notwithstanding, President Akufo-Addo's Government has committed itself to address those challenges facing the Free SHS Policy and hopefully by the next academic year, most of these challenges would have been solved.

Members of the NDC should note that they are rather mocking themselves for their inability within 27 years of political power to put the necessary infrastructure in place for the Senior High Schools in Ghana.

The students and Parents Association of Ghana (PAG) would never fall for the amateurish propaganda of the NDC against the Free SHS Policy.

I would like to urge the Ghana Education Service and Headteachers to strictly enforced and adhere to the rules, regulations and Code of Conduct governing the day-to-day administration and management of the Senior High Schools in the country.

Parents should also take good care of their children at the Senior High Schools especially the girls so that they do not become vulnerable and victims to the evil plans of the NDC and John Mahama.

These innocent school children are secretly videotaped and recorded by the 'evil agents' of John Mahama for mischievous purposes without the knowledge and consent of these school children, and that act of secretly videotaping and recording these innocent school children is criminal in nature.

The NDC are using the recorded video and audio to blackmail these school children and if not stopped can affect the future lives of these innocent school children.

It is our collective responsibility to protect the dignity and lives of the innocent school children from the 'evil hands' of John Mahama and his assigned agents.

Signed!

Razak Kojo Opoku

CVM Founder and President