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Minister of Education, Mathew Opoku-Prempeh has jabbed former President John Dramani Mahama and his government for failing to appreciate the free SHS programme under the Akufo-Addo administration.

Former President John Mahama on Saturday lambasted the incumbent government for implementing the policy in haste.

According to him, it is prudent for the government to call for stakeholders meeting to address the challenges facing the free SHS policy.

“The problem this government is facing and it is in their own interest, is that, Free Senior High School is absorbing all the fiscal space they have and so almost every money you have, you are having to put it into Free Senior High School. So you can’t pay District Assemblies Common Fund, you can’t pay NHIS (National Health Insurance Scheme), you can’t pay GETFund (Ghana Education Trust Fund), you can’t pay other salaries and things because all your money is going into Free Senior High School,” Mr. Mahama said during the Unity Walk organized by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the weekend at Somanya in the Eastern Region.

In a quick riposte to the former President, Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh affectionately called Napo asked Mr. Mahama to at least be happy that his administration couldn't implement the policy but the Akufo-Addo government has delivered on its promise to Ghanaians.

He told host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's Kokrokoo that Mr. Mahama benefited from free SHS and so wondered why he would speak ill of the programme.

He recounted that during Mahama's regime, not even a single textbook was given to students to enhance the education system in the country.

Napo therefore advised the former President and his cohort to allow other people to enjoy the benefits of free SHS since it is what they had to become leaders in the nation.

"If God blesses you to enjoy the fruits of something but you deny some other person of enjoying benefits of what you were blessed with, then God will punish you. You went for ‘free Secondary’ and had benefits thereof but as for Adwoa Atta’s child, you saying he shouldn’t go too. He should sit at home for you to stand on campaign ground and give out 20 cedis to vote for you. That mindset has expired”, he stressed.