The National Organizer for the New Patriotic Party, Henry Nana Boakye, has criticised John Dramani Mahama’s no-fee policy for level 100 students.

According to Nana Boakye during an interview on Adom FM on Thursday, August 15, 2024, the policy is unrealistic and cannot be sustained due to the number of tertiary institutions in the country.

Nana Boakye further stated that the party cannot afford to fulfil its promise, therefore, making the policy discredited even before it is implemented.

“Since when did technical universities not become public institutions. We have about 10 universities in the country, including what we used to refer to as polytechnics but now they are saying it is not part. If you ask, they will claim they are only taking out academic user fee. Go and take the bill of any student and check the component of the fees.

“They first made this promise in 2020 and it failed. This is a discredited policy, they cannot pay anything. This is someone who when he was in power couldn’t afford 300 million to pay nursing and teacher trainee allowances so he cancelled it. Also, he couldn’t afford to pay utility bills for universities, thus resulting in students paying those charges. So how come this same person is saying he will make students attend school for free without paying fees? We are not kids,” he said.

Henry Nana Boakye’s comments come on the back of John Dramani Mahama’s promise to abolish academic fees for first-year students of public universities during the NDC’s youth manifesto launch in Accra.

“We will implement a no-fees stress programme to alleviate the financial burden on parents and students in financing tertiary education.

“We will implement a no academic fees policy at the university for level 100 students,” he said.

MAG/NOQ