Funding of Free SHS. . .Mahama wants broader discussion

Former President, John Dramani Mahama, has stressed the need for a broader discussion on how to fund the Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy.

“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,” he stated.

Addressing National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters during a Unity Walk held at Tarkwa in the Western Region last Saturday, Mr Mahama said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) failed to properly consult and extensively explore the means to fund the Free SHS Policy before implementation.

He said the move by the Akufo-Addo-led government to solicit for funds from the public to support the funding of the Free SHS Policy would not be successful.

“This voluntary contribution ‘lalasulala’ will not be successful,” he stated.

Read also: Free SHS here to stay — President Akufo-Addo

“Why is government 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,” he explained.

“However, somebody just came and he says within three years, he will implement Free SHS and the outcome is what we are seeing now,” the former President stated.

The former President admonished President Akufo-Addo to hold broader consultations on how to properly and sustainably fund and resolve the challenges that had bedevilled the policy.

“My advice to Nana is that, 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 since it was not originated by one person but enshrined in the 1992 Constitution,” he added.