Education Minister Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has explained that young actor Abraham Attah wasn’t paid any money to campaign for the government’s flagship education programme ‘Free Senior High School’ (SHS).

He explained that the award-winning actor walked into his office and declared to be a Free SHS ambassador for free.

The Minister was heavily criticised by a section of Ghanaians after he announced that the young actor who is schooling in the United States is the ambassador.

Abraham Attah shot into the limelight after he featured in the movie with Hollywood actor Idris Elba and Ghanaian actress Ama K.Abebrese ‘Beast of No Nations’.

Dr Opoku Prempeh said Attah just wants to give back to society what he has been blessed with and thought it wise to support a noble cause.

“People came to my office with their children who had seen Abraham Attah and were keen to go to school. He doesn’t live in my generation so I didn’t even know him, I hadn’t even met him. Abraham Attah wasn’t paid a [penny] to come and campaign for Free SHS. He thought that if God has put him where he is, he should come and support a noble cause. He walked into my office and declared to be a Free SHS ambassador for free. Besides that, he donated nearly a 1,000 pairs of sandals for fellow kids who are vulnerable just like when he was vulnerable in Ghana and we are saying I should throw him out?" The minister told journalists during his turn of meet-the-press on Thursday, July 27, 2017.

According to him, he hasn’t seen any good will ambassador of any cause in the world who is not famous.

“Abraham Attah is a young street kid in Ghana who has benefited by fortune or good luck. He just went to America two years ago and his fortunes have blossomed to become a star. I haven’t seen any good will ambassador of any cause in this world who is not famous," he said.

Abraham Attah won the Marcello Mastroianni’s Best Young Actor Award at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival.