Former President John Dramani Mahama, prior to the 2020 elections, promised to review the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government so that it would be targeted at needy students.

The former president was berated for his promise by officials of the government, including President Akufo-Addo himself.

Now, the government has stated that it will be reviewing all of its social intervention policies, including the Free SHS policy, as part of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme it has agreed to.

In the agreement with the government of Ghana, the IMF echoed the points made by former president John Dramani Mahama that the Free SHS was “poorly targeted” and the quality of education under it was not the best.

Here is what Akufo-Addo said about Mahama’s promise to review Free SHS:

The president, who was speaking at an event in 2020, chastised the former president for saying that he would review the Free SHS policy.

Akufo-Addo said that Mahama’s promise to “review” Free SHS means that he will cancel the policy.

“What he is saying is that if he comes, he will review the policy. Is review a policy… we are talking about policy and you are there talking about review. Is review a policy?

“Someone who said he does not want it (Free SHS) says he is now coming to review it. So you should know what he is actually coming to do. He is coming to cancel it, is that not so?

“… Free Senior High School policy is a policy for the development of our country, we are not going back on it… no review today, no review tomorrow. No cancellation,” Akufo-Addo said.

Watch a video of Akufo-Addo’s remarks below:



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