The Bono East Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), David Boakye, has strongly criticized President Mahama’s first budget since assuming office, describing it as a “mess”.
Speaking on Wontumi TV with Oheneba Nana Asiedu, Boakye expressed his disappointment with the budget, saying, “Your first budget should have at least given the Ghanaian a hope… However, your first budget is a mess.”
Boakye’s concern was with the allocation of GH¢290 million for the purchase of sanitary pads for only Junior Secondary School (JSS) students. He questioned the logic behind this allocation, saying, “How can you allocate GH¢290 million for purchase of sanitary pads to only JSS students? Almost six times the seed money for the women development bank he intends to establish.”
He also noted that the initiative only covers JSS and Senior High School (SHS) students, excluding tertiary students. “Funny enough, only JSS and SHS, tertiary students not included. This is from April to December only, and mind you, it’s not even all girls, but only those menstruating,” Boakye added.
Boakye further criticized the government’s decision to provide free sanitary pads, saying, “Is the government not the same person who mentioned that some Ghanaians can still pay SHS school fees? So, those who could pay the free SHS fees should be allowed to pay… if that is the case, then why don’t we allow such people to buy their pads?”
He concluded by saying, “This should tell you how some people intend to enrich themselves using these strategies.”
