Free SHS Is A Hoax – AFUNDC
A Youth Group calling itself ‘Alliance For A United NDC’ (AFUNDC) within the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken a swiped at the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration and described the government move to introduce free SHS as vanity.
The youth group expressed surprise at the manner in which the Akufo Addo led ruling NPP are struggling to impress Ghanaians without any roadmap or policy document in relation to their ‘unimaginable’ promises.
The Group added that having anticipated failure in the programme, the NPP is busily running around looking for philanthropists and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to fund the policy.
According to the Convener of AFUNDC, Mr. Mohammed Shamsudeen Shaibu, “the NPP can be so desperate without shame just because they have to fulfill a campaign promise no matter the negative consequences? I am not surprised though because; these are a crop of people who can sacrifice anything even including humans in order to advance their parochial agenda”.
In an interview with Ghanaian Democrat in Accra, the Convener said the NPP has not by stretch of imagination, restored the touted Teacher and Nursing training allowances. He explained that the John Dramani Mahama led NDC government first absorbed the utility services the students were enjoying freely, aside their allowances of Gh₵400.
Mr. Shamsudeen Shaibu further hinted that, the Nana Addo led NPP government is charging these trainees Gh₵200 from their Gh₵400 for the utility services. Also, he said the ‘cunning’ NPP government reintroduced the quota system to reduce number of students in take by the Colleges of Education.
This could not be described as reinstating of trainee allowance, he opined. Adding “all these lies were anticipated by then the ruling NDC and informed Ghanaians about it, but the Ghanaian electorates were already consumed by the deceit of then the opposition NPP who were desperate for power”.
He also posited that, “Nana Akufo-Addo ‘courageously’ launched the reinstatement of the Nurses Training Allowance in an opulent programme; after spending over GH₵232 million suspected to have been borrowed to pay for only one month, ie. September salary; “is he (Nana) going to plunge this nation into further debts by borrowing to pay these allowances for 4 years?, how is that sustainable?”, he quizzed.
The Convener added further that the NDC government was earlier on paying GH₵450 as allowances to the Nursing Trainees, but the NPP government is now paying GH₵400 with condition that the nursing trainees are reduced by a whopping 40%.
Alliance for a United NDC (AFUNDC) wonders “if Akufo Addo understands the shame that will come with the failure of this programme”.
“For us, we think it is not easy bearing such a shame at his (Nana Addo) age; could it be because he does not expect to live to see 2020? Or is it that he (Nana Addo) intends committing suicide before 2019 to avoid that shame? We do not get it?” The Convener told this paper.
Mr. Mohammed Shamsudeen Shaibu further alleged that out of desperation, the Nana Addo led ruling NPP went to borrow money just to see to the implementation of their ostentatious Free SHS Programme; how is this sustainable?, he quizzed.
Story: Delali A. Awuyeh
