The Ashanti Regional Chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako popuparly known as Chairman Wontumi, has responded to the 2020 Presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the review of the free SHS policy.
On Thursday August, 2022 at Koforidua in the Eastern Region, former President John Dramani Mahama called on President Akufo to reveal the Free SHS policy to ensure quality.
“Any opportunity to encourage this government to consider a National Stakeholder Conference to review the implementation of the policy. There are so many educational professionals and experts, including many of you in this room, who will be able and willing to bring the wealth of experience and knowledge and put it at the disposal of government”, Mr. Mahama said.
Responding to him, Chairman Wontumi questioned John Mahama’s intention against poor children accessing equal education.
‘’John Mahama’s call for the review of free SHS shows that he doesn’t want the poor person to get educated and progress in life. Meanwhile this is the same person who enjoyed Nkrumah’s free education but he is now boycotting Akufo-Addo’s free SHS. Anytime he calls for review it means he is calling for cancellation’’, Chairman Wontumi said.
‘’In 2012 during John Mahama’s election campaign, he said the free SHS policy was a political ploy to persuade Ghanaians to vote for the NPP. On several occasions he emphatically stated it will take the Nana Addo-led administration 20 years to implement such policy. He wants to deprive the ordinary Ghanaian child from having access to free education. ’’, he added.
Concluding, Chairman Wontumi advised Mr. Mahama to concentrate on his personal life.