Liars! Mahama won’t Cancel Free SHS – Opoku Agyemang

The running mate to the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has dared critics to prove that Mr Mahama will cancel the free senior high school programme if elected president in this year’s elections.

She insisted that the NDC is not against the free senior high school policy and further described persons making the claim as liars.

Speaking at Old Tafo in the Abuakwa North Constituency on Wednesday, June 26, she said “Anybody who says the NDC is against Free SHS is a liar, I dare anyone to show proof John Mahama will cancel Free SHS,”

Her comments come at a time when Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin told the NDC lawmakers to state whether the free senior high school programme is their priority or not.

Afenyo-Markin had accused the opposition legislators of failing to commit to the free SHS Bill.

Addressing journalists in Parliament on Tuesday, June 25, he said “We have heard the ranking member on education, the honorable member for Akatsi North, strongly opposing the free SHS bill. Clearly, the NDC minority does not want to commit itself to free SHS, and the fact that we want to enact a law to make it mandatory.

“We have stated time without number that those provisions in the constitution that talk about free SHS are very aspirational, they are aspirational provisions so the way to go is to enact a law to regulate the free SHS policy which is currently in operation.

“The NDC  is opposed to this and they have spoken through their ranking member. we want them to tell Ghanaians whether free SHS is not their priority as a responsible opposition.

“The Ministry of Education is going to ferry the bill through to Parliament, we are ready and that is what as part of the engagement process we engage them but they are adamant. The NDC is not ready for the free SHS bill, it is clear their spokesperson on education has been very loud. The last time I tried to tease the matter on the floor he avoided a response, he stayed clear of it and was not ready to commit himself. So we know that in parliament the caucus speaks through its spokesperson and he is the ranking member on education, he is the  NDC spokesperson on education, and he says he is opposed to the free SHS bill because there is some provision in the constitution, they should tell us why they are opposed to the bill.”

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has already given executive approval of the bill.

Two weeks ago, the Majority Leader said the chapter of the Constitution that provided for free education had aspirational initiatives, which were not justifiable.

Buttressing the essence of enacting a law on the free SHS programme, Mr Afenyo-Markin said there were provisions in the Constitution that could not be enforced and “you cannot claim the right to those provisions”.

He explained that the fact that those provisions existed did not mean that “you can apply to the court to enforce those rights as they are merely aspirational.”

“Now, when it gets to the point where a government lifts it to give life to it, there is the need to enact a law to regulate same. In doing so, it would have been given life to become justiciable to allow a court to rely on it to make orders, enforce certain rights and take certain actions,” he explained.

He, therefore, expressed the hope for the House to pass the bill which would make the free SHS policy enforceable, regardless of the government in power.

Speaking in parliament on Friday, June 21 on the business statement for the ensuing week, the Effutu MP said; “We have some very important bills, the affirmative action bill, the national service authority bill, we also have the all-important free SHS bill which has received executive approval and it’s on its way to this house. I want to urge colleagues that we are in this together,” he noted.

Source: ghananewsonline.com.gh