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General News of Saturday, 17 November 2018

Source: kasapafmonline.com

Akufo-Addo gov’t doesn’t think critically before initiating projects – Mahama

Former President John Mahama Former President John Mahama

Former President John Mahama has said that the Akufo-Addo-led government always rush through its policies and fails to critically assess the pros and cons of their policies before implementation.

His comment is in relation to the implementation of government’s flagship program Free SHS and subsequent introduction of the double track system.

“Excuse me to say, this government does not think critically before initiating any project. They don’t consider the end effect of what they are doing. Look at the education, we told them to take their time”.

He said this when addressing NDC delegates at Nsuta Kwaman Beposo in the Ashanti region as part of his 4 days campaign tour in the Ashanti region Friday.

He told the people: “Free SHS is in the constitution, stating that it shall be made progressively free. Because the economy has to grow for the government to get money to execute it. But when it comes to basic education it says ‘within 15 years of the promulgation of this constitution, basic education shall be free, compulsory and universal” he said.

“But when it comes to secondary, it says you should make it progressively free, it means that you have to analyse the economy to make it free progressively,” he added.

He continued: “Jack Toronto [The current President] just came to power and decided to make it 3 years. But I know that Ghanaians are looking back to the NDC for hope for a turn-around.”

The former President assured however that his government won’t cancel the Free SHS, but will make it better.

“We will make it better, we will remove the double-track, we will complete construction of the 200 secondary school we started building, so that all children can go to school at the same time.

He has also accused the Akufo Addo government of financially overburdening parents whose wards are in various senior high schools with the introduction of the double track system.

According to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), flagbearer hopeful, parents will have to pay between GHs100 to Ghs200 for a subject to teachers who will be contracted to teach their wards during the waiting time of 41 days.

“When these students graduate, where will they get employment? Some of that money should go into investing in the productive sector so that it can generate employment opportunities, so that as the children are coming out of free SHS, they can get work to do. But when we say it, they don’t heed,” he said.