The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has taken a swipe at the Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, over his free academic fees for first-year university students promise.
Speaking at a campaign event of the running mate of his party, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, at Konongo in the Ashanti Region, on August 15, 2024, Chairman Wontumi said that Mahama could not implement the Free Senior High School programme when he was in office but he is today saying that he will pay the academic fees of all first-year university students.
“I want you to ask John Mahama whether he can look in the face of God and say that in 2014, 2015 and 2016, he paid the school fees of students.
“The person who was not able to implement the Free SHS policy is today saying that he would pay 70% of the school fees of university students. Do you believe this? Do you believe this?” he quizzed.
About Mahama’s promise:
The NDC flagbearer has committed to cutting the presidential budget significantly if he wins the upcoming December 7 polls.
Mahama says this will help his next administration finance a ‘no academic fees’ policy for first-year university students.
“We approximate that for all first-year students in public tertiary institutions, it should cost anywhere between GH¢270 and about GH¢290 million,” Mahama said.
Addressing a crowd in Juapong on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, Mahama criticised the current administration’s spending, highlighting the wasteful expenditure that could be redirected towards education.
He compared this to the government’s spending habits, saying: “Let me tell you something, the president: a few years ago, his travel budget in nine months amounted to GH¢69 million. They held one cabinet retreat at the presidency; it cost almost GH¢5 million.”
Mahama argued that the presidency’s annual budget, which has previously soared to GH¢3 billion, could be trimmed to support the initiative.
“There is so much waste in the system, and even if you look at the office of the president’s budget alone, you will be able to cut to raise enough money to pay these academic facility user fees for all level 100 students,” he asserted.
Watch Wontumi's remarks in the video below:
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