A leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and a senior lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof. Martin Oteng Ababio, has launched a scathing attack against the Free SHS programme of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration.

Speaking to newsmen, Prof. Ababio re-echoed the views of former President Mahama, NDC flagbearer, against the Free SHS, which has been touted by many people as a highly commendable pro-poor policy.

In spite of available data showing a significant improvement in enrollment and quality of student beneficiaries of this policy, as Ghanaian WASCEE students remain the best in the sub-region, the NDC Professor says Free SHS "has spelt the doom of the whole educational system."

He asserted, "The number of students that are getting into the University has increased tremendously. Lecturers have not increased. The lecture halls have not increased. The residential halls have not increased... So, we are compromising, and I am a lecturer, we are compromising quality for quantity. In a sense today, if you come to Legon, you enter a lecture hall to find 600, 800 students in one room."

“That makes it very difficult to reach out to each and every one. How many essays can you mark a day? And how many essays can you give to a student?” he also questioned.

Meanwhile, the Professor's assessment has been slammed by many Ghanaians who find his assertions to be coloured by politics and propaganda, hence displaying the typical attitude of the opposition NDC by criticizing the policy.

Professor Martin Oteng Ababio has been a staunch member of the NDC and an ardent campaigner for former President John Mahama.

In 2020, he was one of those who signed the NDC's petition against the compilation of the voter’s register and was a key advocate for Mahama’s policy to legalize okada, which was met with opposition from the larger population of Ghanaians.

The Professor's comments, to many Ghanaians who have expressed their views on it, are very characteristic of his party and John Mahama.

A number of people, reacting to the Professor's remarks, argued it is better for Ghana to have a high admission rate at the tertiary level and a highly educated population than have an uneducated population, therefore applauding the government for not backing down on the Free SHS.

Others also called out the Professor for being dishonest and refusing to acknowledge the massive investment by the government to improve educational infrastructure at both secondary and tertiary levels.