[ 2017-04-26 ]

I’m not sabotaging Akufo-Addo’s free SHS – Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama has rubbished
rumours that he is working to “scuttle the
government’s free secondary education
policy.”

Speculations are rife that the immediate past
president is scheming with officials of the Ghana
Education Service and the Bureau of National
Investigations “and some faceless South Africans
to make it impossible” for the NPP’s popular
Free Education policy to kick off.

“How is it possible, for a person who does not
control government’s kitty to make it impossible
for the government to implement its policy
initiative?

“It is obviously evident, as previously noted by
the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in
Parliament, that government has no plans and has
outlined none on how it is going to fulfil the
many promises it made to the people of Ghana,”
Mahama’s special aide Joyce Bawa Mogtari said in
a statement.

Below is the full statement:

Blame not Mahama for your failures

A statement by Joyce B. Mogtari

A government-sponsored attack has been launched on
HE John Dramani Mahama, former President of the
Republic of Ghana, based on a deliberately
concocted lie, that the former president is
working to scuttle the government’s free
secondary education policy.

Two pro-government and pro-NPP newspapers, Daily
Statesman and Daily Guide, together with sponsored
leaflets in circulation in the Ashanti Region
claim that Mr. Mahama is working with some
officials of the Ghana Education Service (GES),
the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and
some faceless South Africans to make it impossible
for the Nana Akufo-Addo Government to implement
its free SHS promise.

How is it possible, for a person who does not
control government’s kitty to make it impossible
for the government to implement its policy
initiative?
It is obviously evident, as previously noted by
the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in
Parliament, that government has no plans and has
outlined none on how it is going to fulfil the
many promises it made to the people of Ghana.

The publication and circulation of this syndicated
story, which has no merit, is concocted, and which
also debases the intelligence and character of
officials of the GES and BNI, is nothing but a
diversionary tactic.

Government has huge challenges with implementing a
campaign promise to make education at the Senior
High School level free for all students, both day
and boarders, and starting from the next academic
year.

But this attempt to begin a careful process of
accusing the former President and hopefully blame
him for what was a clear deceit of the Ghanaian
Voter, SHS students and their parents will not
succeed.

Did government make adequate budgetary allocations
in its 2017 Budget for the implementation of the
promise, and the many others it made during the
campaign period?

How can it be HE John Mahama’s fault that
government has failed woefully to align its lofty
promises with practice and adequate financial
allocation?
Will all Ghanaian students in SHS and those who
will be entering SHS One in September enjoy free
education? Government should boldly answer that
question and find answers for parents instead of
plotting and sponsoring attacks on the former
President.

As President, HE John Mahama demonstrated his
commitment to an accelerated and multi-faceted
development of our nation.

He had a clear focus on expanding the country’s
economic and social infrastructure, and also
worked to actualise his vision of expanding access
to secondary education and also to quality
healthcare across the country.

The start of work on 200 Community Day Senior High
Schools, implementation of a $156 million
Secondary Education Improvement Programme (SEIP),
implementation of a Progressively Free S.H.S.
Programme in 2015, start of work to expand
infrastructure in our technical and vocational
institutions among others are evidence of his
work.

These critical interventions in access, quality
and affordability ensured both increased enrolment
and enhanced performance in the West African
Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE)
results.

I will not want to delve into concerns that
President Nana Akufo-Addo may have embarked on a
deliberate game of deception and actually lacks
commitment to the things he said during the
campaign.

The government-sponsored syndication of this
concocted story by two newspapers aligned to
President Nana Akufo-Addo as a person, coming just
days after his meeting with all living former
Presidents of Ghana is yet another demonstration
of a betrayal of trust by the President.

Like every good leader, HE John Mahama remains a
true Ghanaian and will support any efforts towards
the growth of our country.

The John Mahama legacy of rapid economic and
social development, gradual transformation of the
economy, the impressive and massive revamping, and
expansion of infrastructure across the country, is
solid, has been proven and recognized by all
Ghanaians and many outside our country.

Joyce Bawa Mogtari

Special Aide to HE John D. Mahama

Accra- April 26, 2017

Source - Starrfmonline.com

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