Former President John Dramani Mahama has asked Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia not to misrepresent his position on the free Senior High School (SHS) education policy in Ghana.
In a press statement issued Tuesday by Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Special Aide at the office of the former President, Mr Mahama admonished Dr Bawumia not to subject the free SHS to emotionally charged tribal discussions and sentiments.
“Mr Mahama has never been against free SHS;and nowhere has he ever said free SHS is a bad policy,” the statement said. “Mr Mahama, just like all well-meaning Ghanaians, believes free SHS must be made better instead of the ad-hoc implementation we are witnessing under the Akufo-Addo administration.”
He has therefore advised Dr Bawumia to “remain civil, circumspect, sensitive and utter words befitting of his new position as Vice President.
Below is a full copy of the statement
”JOHN MAHAMA REMAINS COMMITTED TO A BETTER FREE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMME
We have noted yet another propaganda churned out by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to the effect that HE John Dramani Mahama, the Flagbearer and Leader of the NDC, is against free Senior High School (SHS) education.
This is false!
Dr. Bawumia knows very well, in his heart, that he is not telling the truth and for that matter he is misrepresenting the views of the former President. Mr. Mahama has never been against free SHS; and nowhere has he ever said free SHS is a bad policy. Certainly, the President who implemented Progressively Free SHS for over 350,000 students cannot be said to be against free SHS. We challenge Dr. Bawumia to provide evidence of the former President ever saying he is against free SHS.
Mr. Mahama, just like all well-meaning Ghanaians, believes free SHS must be made better instead of the ad-hoc implementation we are witnessing under the Akufo-Addo administration.
For example, presently the ‘Double Track System’, which keeps some students at home while others are in school studying remains a major worry to students, parents and many Ghanaians who care about the future of the youth of Ghana.
In addition, the fate of SHS students when they graduate remains a major concern to many Ghanaians including students, parents, lecturers, Vice Chancellors among others.
Even President Akufo-Addo, himself, has admitted to the “challenges” and has only asked Ghanaians to see beyond the “challenges” because every programme has “challenges”. Over and above the President, the Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta has also had cause to speak to the challenges of the programme.
Will Dr. Bawumia by any stretch of his imagination, suggest that both President Akufo-Addo and Mr. Ken Ofori Atta are “kicking against” the free SHS programme?
For emphasis, nowhere has former President Mahama ever said he will abandon the free SHS programme.
President Mahama has been very consistent in his belief that the surest way to sustain the programme requires:
1. A wider national stakeholder consultation because wisdom does not reside in the heads of a few;
2. Immediate and urgent abolishing of the Double Track System;
3. Structured, new and additional application of funds at all levels of education;
4. Rapid completion of the remaining Community Day Senior High Schools he initiated;
5. Integrated and coherent planning of education at all levels; and
6. Aggressive teacher motivation programmes and infrastructure development among others.
To this end, we wish to underscore the fact that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) record on all-inclusive education does not suggest that we will ever be against any policy that promotes all-inclusiveness in education. We initiated FCUBE, set up the GETFund despite numerous contentions from our opponents, began the progressively free education policy among others.
As a result, the GETFund has been the singular most effective influence on educational expansion and progress in Ghana. Sadly, for the first time in our history, the future of the GETFund has been collateralised due to misuse and abuse by the present Government.
Additionally, the fact that John Mahama has added more to the infrastructure stock of Senior High Schools than any other government aside Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is not in dispute. He provided all these infrastructures and several significant educational deliverables without mortgaging the GETFund as this government has done.
Therefore, we wish to advice Dr. Bawumia that subjecting free SHS to emotionally charged tribal discussions and sentiments will amount to bigotry. Hence, he must remain civil, circumspect, sensitive and utter words befitting of his new position as Vice President.
As leaders, it is important that we do not fall for the emotionally charged pressure to be virulent without cause, and even if the Vice President chooses to reduce Ghana’s political discourse to such invective bigotry, let him at least try to be truthful.
His Excellency John Dramani Mahama remains committed to free SHS. He will make it better and secure the future of the youth of Ghana.
SIGNED
Joyce Bawah Mogtari
Special Aide
April 23, 2019
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Ghanaians are forgetful. So says JDM! But this time around, Ghanaians are wide awake and will not fall for the politricks of JDM and his NDC. Period!
MAHAMA AND HIS COUSIN JOYCE MOTGARI SHOULD GIVE US A BREAK WITH THEIR FAKE " PROGRESSIVE FREE SHS"EVEN AS FAKE AS IT WAS THEY LEFT DEBTS FOR THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT TO CLEAR RE THE 300,000 CHILDREN OF THE NDC PARTY OFFICIALS
Free SHS has come to stay. Ghanaians love it and have accepted it. We like it and love it. Its better to complete shs than be at home without entering a classroom and selling dog chains on the streets. NDC should wise up and stop talking about free SHS. They sre selfish and does not love Ghana.
What is the difference between against and criticism?? You keep on criticising the free shs and even talked about quality. So what is your beef now if you are not against its implementation?? JM is visionless, incompetent and has nothing to offer. Nana promised free shs and he is implementing it and the whole world had appreciated his effort. Mahama should also promise free tertiary education if he is a capable leader. this is a challenge. The quality of a good leader is one who can take on initiatives, face the challenges and in the end succeed. If you don't start you can finish. The best initiative is taking the first step and Nana has taken it boldly to the appreciation of all Ghanaians except the greedy lu-nat-ics.
Let us be frank. Let us not follow politics and leave the real issue. People should always think above the box. Can't we see the So-called free education is affecting the development of the country: health sector bad, even the education, our roads are bad. Let us always say the truth and die in truth.
Please Mahama & NDC told Ghanaians they do not believe in FREE SHS . And that if Kwame Nkrumah did not extend to other parts of the country it will be unwise for NPP to do it.And they were emphatic that FREE SHS IS NOT POSSIBLE.
Dr Otabil's tape is still fresh in our memories. NDC used it ,and when he complained,...............I do remember,
So what alternative has Mr Mahama koraaa? habah! Ghanaians are no more interested in rhetorics and semantics. If the NDC has an alternative they should just table it...you had 8 uninterrupted years and did "your best" yet booted away in a worse historic defeat and you still doing propaganda...why ? why ? and how ?
Ah Mahama!!!! What at all do you want again!!!!, You the opportunity for 8 years to engage stakeholders on Ghanas education. what did you leave behind. A demotivated teachers, Unpaid teacher allowance, unpaid newly recruited teachers, indebted school feeding programme, schools under trees, high shs fees, high JSH student drop out, no chalk in schools etc etc etc. You couldn't click. You woefully failed. You can only talk theory but failed when the opportunity was granted you. It seems you are desperate now for another chance to loot the state but noooooooooooooooooooo
This comfortable lead woman again. This is very deceptive. Mahama was clearly heard saying the FREE SHS is too expensive and should!n't have been implemented now. I also heard Dr.Bawumia say and he did ask at his rally if anybody had heard someone say it is too expensive and should not have been implemented. So I think Dr.Bawumia was right. This statement is very deceptive.