Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has noted that Mr John Dramani Mahama failed in managing the country when he was president.

According to Dr Bawumia, the nation was overwhelmed with a lot of challenges including the inability of teachers to get ordinary chalk to teach pupils in basic schools.

“Common chalk was even a problem in our schools under former President Mahama,” Dr Bawumia told journalists on Monday, 4 May 2020.

In 2015, under the presidency of Mr Mahama, then Second-Lady Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur came under heavy criticism for publicly turning down a request for her to convince the government to among other things provide chalk for teachers.

The Headmistress of Kukurantumi Presby Primary School, Mrs Juliet Oppong, after expressing gratitude to Mrs Amissah-Arthur for presenting five sets of computers to the school, appealed to her to lobby the government to provide some “basic” items like logbooks for teachers and chalk which, she said, were in short supply in the school.

Her request, however, did not go down well with the Second Lady, who advised the school authorities to turn to its alumni for such basic needs.

“The Headteacher has shocked me…she said you lack chalk and log books...I am very shocked that you are today asking me about chalk...how much is a box of chalk…I won’t give you chalk today, I won’t give you chalk tomorrow.

“I will not give you chalk today, neither will I give it to you tomorrow. You have teachers; you have the PTA, go and buy chalk for the school,” she fumed.

After weeks of backlash, the former Second Lady at an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Jack and Jill School in Accra apologised.

“I was completely taken aback when the headmistress asked for chalk. My response was intended to encourage community participation in the school. If what I said has offended people, I use this opportunity to say ‘I’m very sorry’,” she stated.