Mahama Jabs Akufo-Addo Over 'Lalasulala' Free SHS Contribution

Former President John Dramani Mahama has said that the move by the Akufo-Addo led government to solicit for funds from the public to support the free SHS policy “will not be successful”.

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, in delivering the 2018 budget and financial policy in Parliament, announced the setting up of a Voluntary Education Fund to receive donations from the public to support education in Ghana.

However the former President while addressing NDC supporters at the party’s Unity Walk held in Tarkwa on Saturday, November 25 said “this voluntary contribution ‘lalasulala’ will not be successful. We need a broader discussion on how to fund the Free SHS. Just the first year of implementation and we are seeing the challenges. By the time it gets to the second and third years then these problems are going to be multiplied by three”.

Former President Mahama wondered why the ruling government was in a "hurry to introduce Free SHS while the constitution states that it should be introduced progressively? Progressively means implementation gradually and not all at once or by force. However, somebody just came and he says within three years he will implement Free SHS and the outcome is what we are seeing now” 

He therefore, advised President Akufo Addo to immediately call together stakeholders to brainstorm on the policy and find the way forward.

According to him, "it is not too late to call a national stakeholders conference immediately and solicit for people’s opinion so that we can make Free SHS sustainable because it was not originated by one person but enshrined in the 1992 constitution”