Former President John Mahama has reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the challenges faced by the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, emphasizing that he has no intention of scrapping it. Speaking at a rally in Binduri as part of his 2024 election campaign tour in the Upper East Region, Mahama clarified his stance:
“If anybody tells you JM is coming to scrap free SHS, that person is a big liar. JM is coming to improve the implementation of the Free SHS. The Free SHS has come to stay, but we are coming to make it a quality Free SHS.”
He promised to invest in completing abandoned school projects and expanding existing ones to improve infrastructure, aiming to eliminate the double-track system and increase contact hours for students. Mahama assured that his administration would finish all abandoned E-Blocks and expand facilities in existing schools to create access for Ghanaian children.
To address irregular food supply issues in secondary schools, Mahama proposed allowing head teachers to procure food locally instead of relying on the national buffer stock, ensuring quality and healthy food for students while boosting local economies.
Additionally, Mahama promised to create job opportunities for young people if elected and urged voters to support him and his parliamentary candidates to secure a majority in parliament, enabling him to turn the country’s economic fortunes around.
He was accompanied by his campaign team, including Professor Joshua Alabi, National Campaign Coordinator; Cletus Avoka, MP for Zebilla; Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central; Issifu Mahoud, Parliamentary candidate for Binduri; Joyce Bawah Mogtari, his spokesperson; and other party executives.