The Mahama Campaign Team has strongly denied reports suggesting that former President John Dramani Mahama plans to cut funding for the feeding of senior high school students.
In a statement from campaign spokesperson Joyce Bawah Mogtari, the claims were labeled as false and misleading.
She emphasized Mahama’s unwavering support for the free senior high school (SHS) policy, which he introduced, and assured that his administration will address existing challenges within the program. The NDC’s 2024 Resetting Ghana Manifesto outlines plans to ensure sustainable funding for secondary education, including securing a percentage of oil proceeds and decentralizing food procurement to enhance the quality and availability of supplies for students.
Joyce Bawah pointed out that the decision to allow school authorities to manage their food procurement has received positive feedback from school heads and local leaders, who believe it will improve food quality and stimulate local economies.
The NDC condemned the Akufo-Addo government and the Bawumia campaign for what they termed a campaign of misinformation aimed at misleading the electorate ahead of the upcoming December elections. The statement reaffirmed the public’s trust in Mahama and his running mate, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, as the experienced and honest leaders needed to address Ghana’s challenges.
READ FULL STATEMENT BELOW
Re: Mahama to stop funding of feeding for free SHS students
The Mahama 2024 Campaign has noted another false story syndicated by a group of pro-government tabloids, which they attribute to the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama.
Mr Mahama has never announced the cancellation of funding for feeding students in secondary schools in the country, as reported by the media cabal of the Daily Dispatch, Daily Guide, and the Ghanaian Observer.
John Mahama has consistently affirmed his support for the free senior high school policy. He commenced the progressively free senior high school policy, and his future administration will address the challenges facing the policy and work with stakeholders to develop a better plan to improve the implementation.
Indeed, contrary to the false reports shamelessly published by the NPP’s media cabal, the NDC 2024 Resetting Ghana Manifesto states on pages 92 and 94, under the heading ‘Secondary Education’ that the NDC will, among others, provide a dedicated and sustainable funding source for quality secondary education by ring-fencing a percentage of our oil proceeds, decentralise the procurement of food and other basic supplies, to ensure timely food supply, and improve the quantity and quality of food for students, abolish the double-track system to restore a stable academic calendar and extend free SHS to cover students in private Senior High Schools.
How can these policies reflect a decision to cut funding to support the feeding of students in our secondary schools?
President Mahama’s decision and the announcement to revert to the old arrangement of school authorities managing the process of procuring their food items has been well received by the Heads of Schools, Bursars and Domestic Matrons.
The decision has also excited many traditional leaders because it will improve the quality of food served, prevent the current delays in getting supplies from the Buffer Stock Company and boost the local economies in which schools are located.
The NDC and the Mahama Campaign strongly condemn the Akufo-Addo government and the Bawumia campaign team for continuously disseminating false information. This deliberate attempt to mislead the public ahead of the December election is unacceptable.
The people of Ghana have already chosen the Experienced, Honest and Trustworthy John Dramani Mahama and Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang to save our country from further decay. These acts of misinformation and disinformation will not help the cause of the NPP.
Joyce Bawah Mogtari(Esq)
Mahama2024 Campaign
