Former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has described the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy as President Akufo-Addo’s greatest legacy.

The Free SHS initiative, launched in 2017 by the Akufo-Addo administration, provides free education for all students in public and vocational senior high schools, covering tuition, textbooks, and meals.

Speaking on Starr Chat with Bola Ray, Prof. Oquaye highlighted that the Free SHS policy was a vision of Akufo-Addo even before he became president. He explained that Akufo-Addo's belief in education as a transformative tool for the nation motivated him to introduce the policy.

“Free SHS is Akufo-Addo’s best legacy. The president conceptualized it from the moment he started campaigning. In his first attempt, it was part of his speeches, and he consistently shared this with me and others—that the way to change this nation is through education and that human capital is key to making this nation great. So, Free SHS is dear to President Akufo-Addo,” Prof. Oquaye stated.

When asked about former President John Mahama’s legacy, Prof. Oquaye admitted that he couldn’t identify a specific public policy initiated by Mahama but acknowledged his infrastructure projects, such as Ridge Hospital and Terminal 3. However, he expressed uncertainty about whether these projects qualify as a lasting legacy.