Former President John Dramani Mahama has rejected some media reports suggesting that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would scrap the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme should they come into power.
In a post on Facebook, Mr Mahama acknowledged the constitutionality of the Free SHS programme but held the view that its implementation was rushed.
The former President last Saturday during a Unity Walk organised by supporters of the NDC at Tarkwa called for a broader consultation on how to fund the Free SHS programme, noting that “This voluntary contribution ‘lalasulala’ will not be successful.”
Mr Mahama’s in his Facebook post on Tuesday reiterated the call arguing that “a more carefully considered plan of implementation adopted by broad stakeholder consultation would have resulted in clear policies and guidelines which would have avoided the current challenges plaguing the programme.”
Below is the full post by the former President
NDC WILL NOT REVERSE FREE SHS
There are no "naysayers" when it comes to free SHS. After all it was recognized and enshrined in our constitution by the ordinary people of this nation who gathered at the Consultative Assembly and drew up the 1992 constitution.
Disagreement over the programme is about the optimal pace of implementation. A more carefully considered plan of implementation adopted by broad stakeholder consultation would have resulted in clear policies and guidelines, which would have avoided the current challenges plaguing the programme and putting our students in harms way.
This view is not mine only. Many in the NPP and non-partisan civil society hold the same opinion. It is not too late to hold a national stakeholders forum on the Free SHS Programme in order to carry the whole nation along. The current legacy-seeking and ad hoc manner of implementation will multiply the current implementational problems over the next 3 years.
The false publication by a newspaper that the NDC will reverse free SHS is most laughable, false and diversionary.
Free SHS is constitutional, it must be implemented, but it must be implemented properly according to a clear plan that carries all stakeholders along.
Source: Daily Graphic
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MAHAMA YOU ARE LYING, MAHAMA WOOTWA NTROR, MAHAMA OOOMALEY. AAAAH YOU AND NDC SAID FREE SHS IS NOT POSSIBLE. LATER YOU SAID IT WILL COLLAPSE IN FIVE YEARS TIME. YOU ARE NOW SAYING NDC WILL NOT REVERSE SHS, WHICH ONE SHOULD WE TAKE. NDC IDEY BEE KEKE
Oh this man u wont keep quiet even in opposition. Pls keep the little respect u have as ex president ok. Hmmm.... u dont know what will happen to u if u context again ntia.
If we wait for 100 years to prepare for the free SHS implementation, there will still be problems to solve. No new project will be problems free. The time to start is now and Nana did just that. Thanks Nana. Ghanaians are grateful and we will show our appreciation when the time comes
Very pathetic mahama sounds . . . you are the very people who said free SHS is not doable. Now someone has done it within 9 months and now you want to sustain it. Who is going to vote for u anyway? metcheww me koti a me ti . . masa 30 years in opposition for you and your bunch of crooks and money grabbers
look at this ediot, when did education become your priority you only interested in create, luut and share with your family and friends. Hahahahaha after realizing that his statement on free shs at tarkwa is having big time backlash he is coming to clean the tables. I some times wonder which an1mals voted for such a twerp to become a president, a greedy basstard like this to rule Ghana!!! i can't think far, kwashia buuuulu
Massa, who is going to vote for you(Mahama) again?You think we ordinary Ghanaians are ***barred word***.Just a common chalk you told us you can't provide for our schools. You are clueless when it comes to Education Mr. Former Prez. Enjoy your retirement package and live us Alone.
MAHAMA IS A LIER ,THEY WILL COLLAPSE SHS B'COS THEY NDC HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO IMPLEMENT IT LEAVE ALONE FUNDING PERIOD.
Mr Mahama eee! dont waste your time. Ghanaians know you as someone whose capability in only in CREATING, ***barred word*** AND SHARING at the expense of the poor and vulnerable. Mahama said free SHS is not possible. Now that it has started, he says it is constitutional? This man is pathetic!
Its clear some people talk from political lenses on all issue of National interest. how can you pay 1000s of Ghana cedis for your ward at the most expensive private school and allow your ward to sleep on bare floor in mosquitoes for free SHS? what kind of knowledge will that child acquire at the end of the day? if this program is taught through in its implementation, i dare say only students from government schools should be benefiting from SHS as most people who go there are the venerable and poor in our society. Lets be wise and objective in discussing issues like education.
John Mahama, John Mahama, John Mahama. First of all, it is clear Mahama wants to come again. Second he, like the rest of NDC, sees the Free SHS as one of their biggest challenges so far! They tried to kill it. It did not work. Then they say it would collapse in 5 years. Now Mahama says he's for it but that the implementation was poor. Does Mahama really know how to implement something successfully? When NHIS had already been implemented and you simply had to carry it on, you collapsed it. Does Mhaham think Ghanaians can fall for his antics this time around. This was the man who coined the 'one-term' premium mantra for NHIS and we all saw what that meant. He killed it in one-term! If I were Mahama, I would have just cooled off somewhere and save my face. But like they say, he who the gods want to destroy, they first make.....