Sammy Adu Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the NDC, has indicated that the main point of disagreement between the NDC and NPP on the free SHS debate was the implementation approach.
He indicated that whereas the NPP advocated for a wholesale implementation approach, the NDC advocated for a progressive implementation approach, while also equally prioritizing access and quality.
“My brother, you are right that Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo was the first to promise free SHS in the year 2008. However, even before Akufo-Addo promised Free SHS in the run-up to the 2008 elections, Article 25(1)(b) of the 1992 constitution had already provided for the progressive introduction of free secondary school education. True or false?”
“In September 2015, H.E. John Dramani Mahama launched progressively free SHS, as had been canvassed by the NDC all along. True or false? UNESCO commended John Mahama in October 2015 for commencing the progressively free SHS program. Even before that, Nana Addo had publicly lauded Mahama for commencing the implementation of progressively free SHS. True or false?”
Sammy Adu Gyamfi
Sammy Gyamfi further stated that the progressively free SHS program launched by John Mahama in 2015 absorbed GH₵54 of the fees of first-year and continuing-day students and GH₵58 of the fees of first-year boarding students for the 2016/2017 academic year, and not GH₵38 as claimed by the NPP.
This, the NDC Communicator pointed out, is contained in a widely published official release from the Ghana Education Service (GES).
Sammy Gyamfi asserted that the GH₵12.1 million the NPP is talking about was only the first financial release by the government for the implementation of the progressively free SHS program and not the total amount spent on the program.
He indicated that the total expenditure by the government on the progressively free SHS program for the 2015/2016 academic year was an amount of GH₵25.96 million.
“This is contained in paragraph 781 of the NPP’s own 2017 budget approved by Parliament. True or false?” – Sammy Adu Gyamfi
He also noted that the progressively free SHS program initiated by the NDC/Mahama government in 2015 benefited 320,488 day students in public senior high schools.
Gyamfi detailed that the government also announced its intention to include 120,000 targeted boarding students in the program for the 2016/2017 academic year.
He stressed that this is also contained in paragraph 109 of the 2016 mid-year budget review statement, which was approved by Parliament.
Akufo-Addo’s Free SHS Rollout, A Gradual Implementation
Moreover, Sammy Adu Gyamfi pointed out that when Akufo-Addo took office, he implemented free SHS for all first-year day and boarding students in September 2017.
He noted that, however, continuing students (day and boarding) were not initially covered under the policy; they were roped in progressively.
“My good brother, it is true that the majority of Ghanaians have come to believe the NPP’s false narrative that free SHS was conceived and started by Akufo-Addo and the NPP. Many even believe the NPP’s lie that ‘the NDC has always been against free SHS and will cancel it if elected.’ But the fact that many people believe something, doesn’t make it true”.
“The NPP will continue to make Free SHS an issue in this campaign whether or not the NDC keeps mute about it. Your suggestion that we should keep mute even in the face of deliberate lies about our stance and record on an important issue such as free SHS, simply because many have already come to believe the NPP’s false narrative is totally misconceived”.
Sammy Adu Gyamfi
Sammy Gyamfi wondered if the NPP wanted President Mahama to ignore the question of whether or not he would cancel the free SHS program if elected, asked by Nimatu of Ghana Web during his (Mahama’s) recent encounter with the press.
He noted that President Mahama’s answer was simple, stating that he (Mahama) launched the progressively free SHS in 2015 while pointing out that then-candidate Akufo-Addo and UNESCO lauded him at the time for launching the progressively free SHS.
Sammy Gyamfi noted that Mahama asked how he could be against a policy he initiated and continued by indicating that “Free SHS has come to stay”.
He noted that Mahama stated that he is only coming to improve its implementation and make it better, by providing a dedicated source of funding for the program, abolishing the double-track system, and decentralizing the procurement of food, among other improvements.
“If the NPP decides to call Mahama a liar over this truthful answer, you can’t tell us to keep mute, simply because many have come to believe the lies of the NPP”. – Sammy Adu Gyamfi
Sammy Gyamfi emphasized that the NDC will not keep mute, stressing that the NDC shall set the records straight with incontrovertible facts and allow discerning Ghanaians to judge for themselves.
He stated that President Mahama was truthful in his answer to Nimatu’s question, and the NPP knows it.
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