Government has been warned against any attempt to use state funds to cushion businesses owned by individual and private entities following complaints by heads of private Senior High Schools (SHS) in the country.

“If the government heeds to their demand and use our money to subsidize private Senior High Schools, it must be ready to face demonstrations nationwide”, suspended General Secretary of People’s National Convection (PNC) Mr. Atik Mohammed warned.

“You cannot compel government to expend on you as a private entity….it is a joke”, he responded to claims by Conference of Heads of Private Senior High Schools for assistance.

The leadership of Conference of Heads of Private Second Cycle Schools (CHOPSS) has expressed disappointment in the government’s free SHS policy saying it is likely to push them out of business.

“We consider the development so far as undermining the contributions of private senior high schools in the educational sector. It is as though the government is intentionally trying to collapse all private Senior High Schools in the country,” secretary for CHOPSS, Mr. Joseph Dzames in a press briefing stated.

They are therefore demanding among other things, that the government should extend the free SHS policy to cover students in private Senior High Schools.

But speaking on their demands on Peace FM, Mr. Atik Mohammed warned the New Patriotic Party government against taking such a move since in his view government in subsidizing private businesses is in variance with its core mandate and also fall flat on the law.

“There is no basis for such expenditure”, he fumed during panel discussion.

According to him, the free education policy package is meant for students in public institutions and not those in the private institutions therefore unnecessary for government to support private schools.

The embattled General Secretary also warned headmasters and mistresses against extortion from parents lauding government for making a campaign promise a realty.

“I am particularly encouraged with the enthusiasm of the President, the Vice president and the Ministers of Education. …they have made my day”, Mr. Mohammed Atik revealed.