The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia says former President John Dramani Mahama cannot be trusted with the Free SHS.
This, according to him, is because the former President had once said he would not spend on the programme.
Speaking at GBC’s Radio Upper West as part of his campaign tour of the region, Dr Bawumia said Mr Mahama “has zero credibility when it comes to Free SHS”.
“John Mahama said if he had ¢2 billion, he would not spend it on Free SHS. Today he is trying to tell us that he will make free SHS better. Something you said was not going to be possible. He has zero credibility when it comes to Free SHS. We cannot trust him with the Free SHS.”
Dr Bawumia’s comment comes after John Mahama debunked claims that he will abolish the free Senior High School (SHS) programme being implemented by the governing NPP if he comes to power.
Free SHS has come to stay. If anyone comes to you that I, John Mahama, the son of E.A. Mahama is going to cancel FREE SHS, tell that person he or she is a bloody liar. What I am against is the poor implementation that has put a lot of burden of parents.#JohnMahama2020
— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) August 7, 2020
On Secondary Education, the NDC in its 2020 manifesto launch on Monday, September 7, also said its next government will make the Free SHS Programme better by ensuring that its numerous challenges are addressed, and higher standards introduced; expand the Free SHS programme to cover students in private Senior High Schools in underserved/deprived areas.
But Dr Mahamudu Bawumia says John Mahama, who is also the flagbearer of the opposition NDC, never believed in the idea in the first place but only wants votes.
“Mahama said he will review the Free SHS. What does that mean?” he asked on Wednesday, September 9, 2020.
