Ayariga Scatters Akufo-Addo’s Free SHS …Says Programme is Nothing, But A Scholarship Package

Maverick politician and Founder of All People’s Congress (APC), Dr. Hassan Ayariga, has put a spoke in wheel of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s self-assuring Free Senior High School (SHS) policy recently introduced for Ghanaian first year students only.

The APC founder said, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s so-called free SHS policy is much-ado-about nothing, and therefore, cannot be described as free education but rather, a mere “scholarship” package for 400,000 first year students.

Speaking on Accra-based TV3 programmed dubbed ‘On After Hours,’ Dr. Ayariga insisted that what the NPP terms ‘free SHS’ should rather be described as, “scholarship for 400,000 first year students” and should not be regarded as an achievement.

“I don’t think [free SHS] is an achievement. This is not the first time government has implemented free SHS. [Kwame Nkrumah] introduce free education for everyone.

“They are giving scholarships to 400,000 students. They are not implementing free SHS. They are giving scholarships to first year students. The third year students are paying school fees so why call it free SHS”, he told host of the show.

The former flag-bearer of the People’s National Convention (PNC) who has been very critical about President Akufo-Addo and free SHS policy since Akufo-Addo was in opposition, insisted the NPP government has only rushed to implement the policy.

“I don’t think they were ready; they only rushed to implement it just to score some political points,” he insisted.

Dr. Ayariga also maintained that President Nana Akufo-Addo is not a good presidential material, insisting that nothing has changed since NPP took over the reins of power in Ghana.

“What has changed since Nana Addo became president? Nothing has changed. The only thing that has changed is moving one set of people out and bringing a different category of people in.

What I wanted to do was to get the right people within my party, within the NPP, within the NDC and within other political parties and get them at their rightful places-all-inclusive government,” Ayariga maintained.