The Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has reiterated that the successful implementation of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) free Senior High School education policy will help parents have more disposal income to give church offerings and tithes.

In what is a clear reaction to the General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Pastor Mensa Otabil’s assertion that education can never be free, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko wrote on his Facebook wall on Monday that, “Free secondary education means parents have more disposable income to spend on the family and other important things, including church offerings and tithes.”

Pastor Mensa Otabil said in a sermon that, “Free education can never be free, somebody is paying for it, tell me who is paying for it…..nothing is free. You are paying for it only that you are being told you didn’t pay for it. How do you pay for it, through taxation...So I pay tax and you tell me you are giving me free education when it's my tax that is paying for it.”

"The other thing is, if somebody tells you something is free ask them what is the quality; anything free without control, when it is bad you can’t complain. If you don’t know the quality, don’t take it,” he posited.

The Chancellor of the Central University College’s remarks has drawn sharp reactions from the opposition NPP with the party’s Director of Communications, Nana Akomea telling Joy News the party “respects the views of Pastor Otabil but disagree with it.”

He argued that just as the government pays for the construction of roads and other infrastructure; pays doctors and security personnel all from taxes collected from Ghanaians, the NPP government under Nana Akufo-Addo will pay for the implementation of the Free SHS with the same taxes.